A WOMAN was trapped in her car after another crash at a notorious accident blackspot on the A64.

Firefighters released the woman, whose car had been involved in a collision with a Volvo lorry on the westbound carriageway at Bilbrough Top.

She was taken to York District Hospital with chest and wrist injuries.

According to staff at the nearby Armstrong Massey garage, the woman had just pulled out on to the A64 in one of their courtesy cars and was crossing through a gap in the central reservation to head towards York.

According to eyewitnesses from the garage and McDonald's, her car was wedged between the lorry and the central reservation.

The Evening Press has been campaigning for some years for the gap to be closed to traffic as an urgent safety measure, but the Highways Agency has refused to do so until a flyover is built allowing local traffic to cross the dual carriageway safely.

The flyover is not due to be completed until 2004.

A petition calling for the gap to be closed was signed by many hundreds of readers, and backed by emergency services and a number of accident victims, and was handed to the then Roads Minister, Lord Whitty, in December 1999.

The agency recently spelled out the reasons behind its refusal to close the gap when it gave evidence at a public inquiry into the flyover proposals.

It said the road safety benefits would have to be weighed against social and commercial disadvantages to residents and businesses.

Another factor was the Government's policy to reduce reliance on the private car.

Following last night's accident, the outside lane of the carriageway was blocked for just over an hour and traffic built up back towards the roadworks. The driver of the lorry was uninjured.

The Highways Agency today expressed regret for those injured, and said it awaited the results of the police investigation into the circumstances of the accident.

"The Agency is currently awaiting the results from the public inquiry into the proposed flyover at Bilbrough Top, which finished on November 13," said a spokeswoman. If the draft orders for the flyover are upheld, the Agency can then press on towards construction and work could begin in summer 2003.

"Interim safety improvements including improved signage and road markings are ongoing. The Agency will be monitoring the improvements and may make further adjustments if required."

Updated: 14:59 Tuesday, November 27, 2001