INVESTIGATIONS have been launched by police and highway engineers into the latest fatal crash on a notorious road.

The stretch of the A167 Great North Road between Darlington and Thirsk has claimed at least seven lives in the past five years.

Rebecca Louise Hamilton, 29, of Middleton St George, near Darlington, was the latest victim, in a crash at the junction with the road to Croft racing circuit, south of Darlington, on Monday afternoon.

She was driving a silver Vauxhall Cavalier from the direction of the circuit on to the A167, when her vehicle collided with a Peugeot 206 driven by Barbara Thompson, of Cobden Street, Darlington.

Ms Thompson, who was driving towards Darlington, was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, which police said were not believed to be life-threatening.

North Yorkshire County Council will join police in their investigations, to see if the road had any influence over what happened.

David Lindsay, road safety officer for the council, said there had been three fatal accidents on the A167 between Croft and Topcliffe in recent years, before Monday's crash.

Two of these were at the junction with the B1263 Richmond road, known locally as Blackman's Corner.

A £30,000 scheme aimed at improving safety there was due to start earlier this year, but had been put back because of the foot-and-mouth crisis, he said.

"As soon as that load lightens, the junction improvements there will be put in place," said Mr Lindsay.

These include new traffic islands and better signing on approaches to the junction.

Further accidents have caused deaths further north, between Croft and the Blands Corner roundabout, at Darlington.

Any witnesses to the accident, or who saw the vehicles involved before the crash, are asked to contact PC Stuart Langford, at North Yorkshire police, on (01609) 789212.