TWO motorists died and three people were injured in a smash on a North Yorkshire road.

A woman died at the scene and a man who was airlifted to hospital later died of his injuries, when three vehicles collided on the rural road, near the village of Marton-cum-Grafton.

A local man was also injured in a separate incident early today when his car was in collision with an Army light tank on the A64 near York.

Dozens of emergency service personnel attended both incidents, which closed the B6265 near Aldborough, and the eastbound carriageway of the A64 near Fulford, for several hours.

Police today named the woman Ford Focus driver who died at Marton-cum-Grafton as Gillian Thayers, of Wetherby.

The identity of the dead man, who was driving a Renault Laguna and was taken by Yorkshire Air Ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary before being pronounced dead, has not yet been revealed.

Three other motorists, including the occupants of a Fiat Punto that was also involved in the crash at about 7.30pm, were taken by ambulance to York Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of a black Citroen ZX car was taken to hospital for observation after he collided with a Samson CVRT tracked tank on the A64 between the Fulford interchange and Grimston Bar.

Soldiers used a similar vehicle to tow the damaged armoured vehicle back to the nearby Imphal Barracks, in Fulford, after the smash at about midnight.

In an incident earlier yesterday, three people were injured when a Vauxhall Corsa and post office van collided at the Welburn crossroads, near the A64, on the Castle Howard road.

Postal worker Chris Harris suffered head injuries and was today in a stable condition at York Hospital, while Vauxhall driver Christine Sutherland was discharged after hospital checks.

Updated: 10:10 Saturday, March 08, 2003