A SERIOUS crash has occurred on the country's worst road, days after a fatal accident claimed the life of a lorry driver.

A post office van and a Mercedes Benz car were involved in a crash shortly before 9am yesterday on the A66 trans-Pennine route.

There have been more than 70 fatal accidents on the road over the past decade and numerous other crashes.

The latest happened at Cross Lanes junction, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, on a dual carriageway section.

The van driver sustained multiple injuries and was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital, but last night his condition was not thought to be critical.

The Mercedes driver sustained less serious injuries and was also taken to hospital.

The crash came three days after a lorry driver was killed on the A66 as he drove from Scotch Corner to Penrith.

Two lorries and a car were involved in the crash on a section of single carriageway near Temple Sowerby, Cumbria, which closed the road overnight.

Last month, that particular stretch of the A66 was branded the worst road in the country.

A safety study conducted by the Government has concluded that full dualling would be the safest option for the A66, and yesterday a spokeswoman for the Government office North-East said there were plans to work on the road.

She said: "The safety study recommended that the best long-term solution was for a full upgrade of the A66.

"That recommendation has been subject of a consultation exercise which has just been completed and a submission will be made to ministers in the next two to three weeks."

It is not known when ministers will give the go-ahead for the upgrade.

* A woman was in hospital with serious injuries last night after a three-vehicle crash. Firefighters freed the driver from a Nissan Micra, on the A169 Malton to Pickering road, North Yorkshire, after the 8am accident. The drivers of a Ford van and Renault 19 involved in the collision were not seriously injured