A WOMAN was being treated in hospital for severe shock last night after watching helplessly as her husband was killed by a lorry

The middle-aged couple, from Scotland, had stopped on the hard shoulder of the northbound carriageway near Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire.

It is believed the man - whose identity has not yet been released by police - had got out to mend a puncture.

Moments later, his wife watched in horror from the grass bank as a lorry ploughed into their car from behind.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene - just south of the B6265 flyover with the A1, between Boroughbridge and Dishforth - while the lorry driver escaped with minor injuries.

The crash at Kirby Hill happened just yards away from the site of one of the worst road accidents in the region's history.

On that occasion, in November 2000, a Vauxhall Carlton car clipped the barriers on the central reservation, overturned and came to rest on its side on the hard shoulder.

Karen McCutcheon, 39, her husband, Colin, 44, from Aberdeen, and Mrs McCutcheon's sister, Sandra Jennings, 37, a social worker, of Huntington Road, York, survived the crash.

Good Samaritans Stephen Maddison, 43, and his 39-year-old wife Wendy, of Topcliffe, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, pulled up in their Range Rover in front of the stricken Vauxhall to help. Lorry driver David Cooper, 33, from Chester, also stopped to offer a hand.

At that moment, an articulated lorry piled into the three vehicles, killing all six.

Driver Brian France was jailed for six years, reduced to five on appeal, after he admitted six counts of causing death by dangerous driving at York Crown Court.

The 55-year-old from Barnsley had been driving erratically for several miles prior to the crash, the court heard, and had either dozed off at the wheel or had leaned over to read work documents when he should have been concentrating on the road.

Yesterday's accident led to traffic chaos and the A1 was completely closed for several hours. Although traffic was diverted via the A168, there were still tailbacks of up to 15 miles.

Anyone who may have seen what happened or can help police are asked to contact (01423) 539474.