POLICE have confirmed the names of three members of the same family - including a one-year-old baby - who were killed in an horrific crash between a car and lorry.

The victims were travelling in a people carrier that was involved in a head-on collision with a lorry on the B1404 between Houghton-le-Spring and Seaham, County Durham, at 12.20pm on Wednesday.

A police spokesman said: "Robert Reed, aged 75, who was driving the car, Natalie Simpson, aged 18 and Destiny Reed aged 14 months all died at the scene of the accident after a head-on collision between the Renault Megane Scenic car they were travelling in and a lorry.

"Margaret Reed, aged 74, was airlifted to hospital after being seriously injured in the crash and remains in James Cook hospital in Middlesbrough, where her condition is being described as critical but stable."

The spokesman said that Margaret and Robert are husband and wife and grandparents to Natalie’s partner and great-grandparents to Destiny. The family members are all from Houghton-le-Spring.

After colliding with the car, the lorry careered off the road, ploughed through two hedges and ended up on the 15th fairway of the nearby Sharpley Springs Golf Club.

The 42-year-old lorry driver from Hetton-le-Hole suffered whiplash injuries. He was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remains in police custody.

He is being interviewed by accident investigators this afternoon.