HIGHWAYS chiefs are being blamed for a crash on an icy road which injured two drivers and sent emergency vehicles skidding.

Treacherous black ice was at the root of last week's accident on Broad Lane, near Appleton Roebuck, York, in which two cars crashed head-on.

A police car attending the crash also skidded, while a paramedic's 4x4 went off the road and into a ditch.

The two car drivers were both injured, and the paramedic was taken to York Hospital with shock.

But it has now emerged that at the time of the smash, the road had not yet been gritted by North Yorkshire County Council, because it is only classified "priority two".

County council gritters were still on their way to treat the road when the accident happened at 8am, although the section of the same road under City of York Council's remit had been dealt with at least two hours earlier.

Katie Rowlings, 18, was driving her Vauxhall Astra towards Appleton Roebuck, described how she suddenly felt it skidding out of control.

"It happened really quickly," she said. "I think I was on the wrong side of the road.

"I saw the other car and I went straight, head-on into it.

"It was the scariest thing I've ever done. It makes me angry because it could have been so much worse."

The Tadcaster Grammar School sixth form pupil, from the Crown Inn, Bolton Percy, suffered a badly broken ankle in the smash, and now expects to be off school for several weeks.

John Darley, TENYAS director of patient services, said he was "disappointed" the road had not been gritted, at a time in winter when pressure on emergency services was "at its highest".

This had contributed to a "serious accident" to a rapid response vehicle, badly damaging and taking it out of action, he said.

"We would stress the importance of gritting all A and B roads to facilitate the smooth and safe access and egress for the emergency services," he said.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman confirmed one of its vehicles, which was attending the accident, had also skidded on the black ice.

Brian Percival, Selby District councillor for Appleton Roebuck, said: "This is atrocious. I intend to make an issue of this as it is just is not good enough."

Paul Sheppard, the county council's area highways manager for Selby, said "priority two" roads were treated by 10am, as soon as work to priority one routes had been completed.

Heavy rain forecast for the night before the accident on Broad Lane meant highways chiefs were expecting black ice the following day, so they began gritting work at 4.30am.

"I can appreciate the point that is being made," he said.

But he added: "We've acted in accordance with our policy, which is well broadcast within the communities.

"If parish councils think their road should be changed priority, they can write to the county council in the spring, and we will consider their request."

Updated: 10:48 Friday, December 09, 2005