THE girlfriend of a York motorist who was seriously injured when his car collided with a tank today asked why a camouflaged armoured vehicle parked on the A64 in the middle of the night.

Dave Farrow, 44, was rushed to York Hospital with internal injuries after his Citroen ZX crashed into the Samson CVRT recovery vehicle on the A64 near Fulford.

Girlfriend Lindsey Clarke, 24, claimed he had "no chance" to avoid the tank which had parked on the hard shoulder, partly blocking the inside lane, when a car in front swerved to avoid it.

"He tried to steer out of the way too, but caught the side of the its tracks and was flung into the central reservation," said Ms Clarke, who works at Minster Coachworks in Leeman Road.

"The car is absolutely totalled. There is no passenger side left and the police said they were surprised that he got out at all."

She said her boyfriend, who lives in Huntington, had been returning from a friend's house when the accident happened at about 12.30am on Saturday, on the eastbound carriageway between the A19 junction and Grimston Bar.

Mr Farrow is today receiving treatment in York Hospital after suffering broken ribs, a fractured breast bone, facial injuries, severe bruising and a suspected punctured lung.

A group of Territorial Army soldiers, including driver Andrew Gibson, of the Queen's Own Yeomanry, were inside the tank at the time of the incident.

None of the soldiers, who are based at Imphal Barracks in Fulford, was injured in the smash and they were able to call for help on their mobile phones.

A British Army spokesman said today that Military Police would work with civilian officers to investigate the cause of the crash.

He said the armoured vehicle had been seen to have correct and full road lighting when it left the barracks and when it returned.

He added that it had not broken down, but had been involved in the recovery of another military vehicle prior to the collision.

The soldiers had been taking part in squadron exercise Roman Picture which took place at Buttercrambe Wood, near Stamford Bridge.

Updated: 14:55 Monday, March 10, 2003