DEATH on the roads brought misery to several North-East families this Christmas.

Police were last night hunting two people who fled the scene of an accident which left a driver dead on Christmas Eve.

At about 7.50pm, a Rover 214 pulling on to Marton Road in Middlesbrough, Teesside, from Marton Way, collided with a Vauxhall Astra travelling towards the town centre.

The Astra's driver and passenger then ran off, while the driver of the Rover, a 34-year-old man from Middlesbrough, was taken to Middlesbrough General Hospital, where he later died.

And it emerged that a woman badly injured after being hit by a bus close to Sainsbury's in the town on Friday afternoon died over the weekend.

The 36-year-old, who had still not been named last night, suffered severe head injuries in the accident, at about 3pm, in Wilson Street.

Anyone with information about either tragedy is urged to contact police on (01642) 301558.

Meanwhile an elderly woman reported missing in York on Saturday afternoon was later killed after apparently wandering on to a busy road.

The unnamed woman, from the Stockton Lane area of the city, was reported missing from the city centre with a black Labrador dog early on Saturday afternoon.

Shortly after 8pm that night, she was hit by a silver Mercedes driven by a 42-year-old Harrogate man on the eastbound carriageway of the A64 city bypass, close to Fulford interchange.

She was taken to hospital, but died shortly after arriving.

Police are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen that accident, or the woman, who was 4ft 11in and wearing a beige anorak and boots.

They are especially anxious to contact two witnesses who reported the road accident at Fulford Police Station, but left without leaving their full details.

Anyone who can help is asked to contact (01904) 631321.

And Christmas will be forever tinged with sadness for the family of a 32-year-old woman, hit by a bus in the Scotswood area of Newcastle on Saturday evening. Police said she ran into the path of a double decker travelling along Whickham View shortly before 6pm.

She was taken to Newcastle General Hospital with serious head injuries. Witnesses are asked to call (01661) 872555