THE A19 has now been reopened following a collision involving a lorry and a car.

North Yorkshire fire crews, police and ambulance crews all attended the scene of the crash at the Bagby junction near Northallerton and Thirsk.

A curtain-sided lorry and a Peugeot 107 hatchback car were involved in the collision, which happened at about 1.30pm on Friday (April 15).

The Northern Echo: Emergency crews at the scene of the accident on the A19 near Thirsk. Picture: Stuart MintingEmergency crews at the scene of the accident on the A19 near Thirsk. Picture: Stuart Minting

Fire crews freed the driver of the car by cutting through the vehicle. The casualty was taken to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, but it is not believed the driver suffered life-threatening or life-changing injuries.

The road was closed while the rescue and recovery of the vehicles took place and was reopened at about 4pm.

One motorist at the scene said: “The accident seems to involve an HGV which has left the road and is in a hedge and at least one car and fire crews appear to be surrounding a red hatchback in an attempt to free one or more occupants.”

Witnesses said the road was dry and there was a normal amount of traffic for the time of day when the collision occurred, shortly after 1.30pm.

One driver said: "There were a large amount of emergency personnel at the scene and they were focusing their attention on a red hatchback, although there was a lorry which appeared to have careered off the southbound carriageway into the northbound carriageway and then off the road and into a hedge, facing Sowerby.

"The accident scene looked serious with an ambulance crew standing by with a stretcher at the ready."

The crash scene, about two miles south of Thirsk, was 100 yards from a lay-by where a number of trucks had stopped beside a burger van before the incident.