Traffic chaos as series of crashes closes A1 (From The Northern Echo)

Traffic chaos as series of crashes closes A1

8:00am Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Traffic & Transport News By Ashley Barnard, Reporter (Richmond)

POLICE were kept busy dealing with a spate of accidents after a combination of rain and low ground temperatures caused treacherous road conditions.

Between midnight on Sunday and noon yesterday there were 63 accidents throughout North Yorkshire, although no one was seriously injured.

The biggest headache was on the A1. Police were called to the first collision at 2.15am on the northbound carriageway near Hackforth, Bedale, after a HGV skidded off the icy road.

This was followed by multiple collisions of cars and vans going into the back of each other or leaving the road, resulting in both north and southbound carriageways being closed between junction 49 at Leeming and junction 47 at Allerton Park.

The A168 was also closed yesterday morning between the A19 York Road junction and A167 junction.

According to the Highways Agency, the A1 was gritted in preparation for the cold weather, but unexpected rain washed it away and it started to freeze.

Four lorries jackknifed at different sections of the A1, the first near Hackforth, another two further north and the fourth at Leeming, that vehicle suffering a ruptured fuel tank.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service reported several incidents on minor roads, including a car and a van colliding at Thornton Bridge, Helperby at 7.20am yesterday where the woman van driver had to be cut free. She was taken to hospital with knee, shoulder and chest pains.

A car carrying three people overturned on the A168 at Dishforth at 4.15am, and a Volvo carrying four people left the A1 at Catterick at 2.50am.

There was also a collision between a Ford Focus and a Suzuki Swift on the A167 near Great Smeaton at 9.15am. The female driver of the Swift was taken to the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton for facial injuries, however, they were not serious.

Around the same time, a Citroen Picasso left the road in Hackforth near Bedale and went into a field.

The southbound carriageway of the A1 was reopened at 11am and northbound at 1.30pm