TWO people died yesterday following separate accidents within a few miles of each other on the A19.

Early on Tuesday morning 24-year-old lorry driver Andrew Nimmo, from Murton, near Seaham, was killed in a crash between two HGVs and a Ford Focus Zetec on the southbound carriageway, near Thornaby, Stockton, at 5.25am.

Then at 2.10pm, near Low Lane Road, between the A67 turn-off at Crathorne and A174 at Redcar, another lorry and a Vauxhall Corsa collided.

In the first accident, a 25-year-old man, the driver of the second HGV involved, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and was taken into police custody after being released from hospital.

The driver of the car, a 37-year-old woman, was taken to The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, with fractures to her legs. Paramedics found the woman lying on the road, although she was conscious throughout. Her condition was described as "not life-threatening".

Mr Nimmos family released a photograph of him from their last holiday together. He is pictured with his fiancee and partner of two years, Janinne Lesley, also 24, and her five-year-old daughter Laylah Hope. The couple were due to be married in August next year.

In a statement released by Cleveland Police, his family said they were devastated and asked for time to try to come to terms with their loss.

The collision caused the A19 to be closed in both directions, leading to heavy traffic throughout the day, especially around Acklam, Thornaby, Coulby Newham and Hemlington.

The northbound carriageway was reopened in the afternoon, but was closed again following the second collision which claimed the life of a car driver. It did not open again until 9.15pm.

Late last night a Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: "The man, a driver of a Vauxhall Corsa, was pronounced dead at the scene after the collision with a HGV.

"The male driver of the HGV has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and is currently in police custody."

Police are appealing for witnesses to either accident to call the non-emergency number 101.