A MYSTERY road crash on the A64 in York saw two people seriously injured when a car carrying six people left the road, landed in a ditch and burst into flames.

All six managed to get out of the black Peugeot 306 before the fire took hold, but two suffered serious internal injuries.

The tragedy was the third in a series of accidents on York and North Yorkshire roads, including one which saw a woman killed on the A64 at Ganton, near Scarborough.

The other saw a pedestrian taken to hospital with serious injuries after he was hit by a car on the A59.

The A64 crash in York happened at about 10.15am yesterday between the Grimston Bar roundabout and the A19 interchange.

Sergeant Andy Farrar said: "For some reason, the vehicle veered across both lanes of the A64."

All six people in the car were taken to York Hospital, two with serious internal injuries, one suffering shock and three with minor injuries.

The A64 was shut between the Hopgrove roundabout and the A19 for more than four hours afterwards.

Traffic chaos followed, with long tailbacks building up on the eastbound carriageway and on the A1079 Hull Road into York.

The Hopgrove roundabout interchange with the A1237 was also badly affected.

AA spokeswoman Denise Raven said: "The whole area was very busy all day. The A64 is such a popular route. Closing it means a knock-on effect for roads like the A59 and A1237."

Sgt Farrar appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.

He said police particularly wanted to speak to the driver of a blue vehicle travelling westbound at the time it happened.

"It may have contributed to the accident. It did not stop. It may have been that the driver was unaware of the accident," Sgt Farrar said.

The Ganton crash saw a BMW 3 series, heading towards Scarborough, collide with an articulated lorry heading in the same direction.

The two vehicles were then in collision with a Land Rover Discovery heading towards Malton.

A female passenger in the BMW died at the scene. Four men in the car were taken to Scarborough Hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

All five people in the BMW were from Shipley, near Bradford.

The lorry driver and two people in the Land Rover escaped unhurt in the crash, which happened at about 3.20am yesterday.

The A59 accident happened at about 10pm on Saturday, when an 18-year-old Harrogate man was hit by a blue Subaru Impreza, between Knaresborough and Harrogate, at Harrogate Hill.

He was taken to Harrogate Hospital with serious injuries.

Anyone with any information on the accidents is asked to phone the police on 01723 509555.

Updated: 10:52 Monday, June 16, 2003