POLICE have criticised motorists who slowed to look at the aftermath of a crash on the A1, causing a pile-up.

Officers were dealing with an incident at Barton in North Yorkshire on Monday were a car had hit the central reservation on the southbound side and gone across the carriageway before ending up in the trees.

"Sadly drivers on the opposite carriageway rubbernecking meant we then had a four vehicle road traffic collision which closed the road in both directions," said Sgt Paul Cording of North Yorkshire Police.

The Northern Echo:

The car that left the road and ended up in the trees on the A1. Photo: North Yorkshire Police

"This caused inconvenience to a number of motorists and more work for our already stretched 999 colleagues. Luckily only minor injury."

Sgt Cording said the occupants of the car that left the road had been very fortunate.

"Incredibly the car managed to miss all the big trees and stayed upright and both occupants escaped with believed minor injuries," he said.

Speaking to The Northern Echo afterwards, Sgt Cording said: "It's a timely reminder that driving requires your full attention and what can happen when you take your eyes of the road even for just a second.

"Fortunately, there were no serious injuries resulting from this collision but it closed the road for an hour or so whilst emergency services tended to the casualty and recovered the vehicles."