A FEMALE motorist remained in a "critical, but stable" condition in hospital tonight, three days after an accident in which a male driver was killed.

Bob Curry, 69, died after his Nissan Micra veered out of control, crossed the central reservation and hit a Hyundai Accent car heading in the opposite direction on the A690 at Rainton Gate, near Durham, on Friday evening.

Mr Curry, of nearby West Rainton, is believed to have suffered a seizure at the wheel as he approached the village from the Durham area.

His wife, Mary, 67, a front seat passenger, suffered a broken right arm, cuts, bruises and a head injury, and is undergoing treatment at Durham's University Hospital of North Durham.

The Hyundai driver, a 47-year-old woman from nearby Hetton-le-Hole, was severely injured and was airlifted to Newcastle General Hospital where she was last night said to be in a "critical, but stable" condition.

A third vehicle, a Nissan Micra, was also badly damaged by flying debris, but the 37-year-old driver, from Evenwood, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was unhurt.

The A690 Durham to Sunderland dual carriageway remained closed in the vicinity of Rainton Gate and West Rainton for five hours while police carried out inquiries at the accident scene.

Witnesses to the collision, at 5.40pm, are asked to contact Durham Police on 0345-60 60 365.