INVESTIGATIONS are underway after two men died in separate collisions on the region’s roads this weekend.

William Peel, 33, from Darlington, suffered fatal injuries when his van was involved in a collision with a minibus on the A167 near Darlington late on Saturday evening.

In the second incident, a motorcyclist from Gilesgate, in Durham, died after being thrown from his bike following a collision with a van on the A688, near Staindrop.

The fatal collision is the second serious accident on the same stretch of Teesdale road in weeks after a young family suffered serious injuries in a head-on collision on September 29.

Police investigating Mr Peel’s death said he was driving a VW Caddy van on the A167 in Beaumont Hill, on the outskirts of Darlington, when he hit a Ford Transit minibus travelling in the opposite direction, at about 11.50pm on Saturday.

A police spokesman said the Caddy veered into the opposite lane and hit the minibus head on.

Mr Peel suffered fatal injuries while the driver of the minibus, a 38-year-old man from Middlesbrough, was taken to hospital suffering from minor injuries and shock.

Traffic investigators are also looking into the death of the Durham biker, who has not been named, after he was in a collision on the Keverstone Bank section of the A688 at the junction with Burnt Houses Lane, near Cockfield, at about 6pm on Friday.

The motorcyclist was travelling east along the A688 when a Citroen Berlingo van pulled out from the junction to turn right, heading towards Staindrop.

As a result of the impact, the motorcyclist was thrown from his bike and sustained fatal injuries. He was declared dead at the scene of the accident.

The driver of the van, a local man, suffered shock. The road was closed for about four hours.

The fatality comes weeks after 45-year-old Darren Handyside and his children Jack, ten, and Sophie, eight, were badly hurt in a head-on collision on the A688.

On that occasion, Mr Handyside’s silver Rover was in collision with a black Vauxhall Corsa, about 300 yards east of the junction with Burnt Houses Lane.

All three suffered serious injuries and remain in hospital where their treatment continues.

Councillor Pauline Charlton, whose Durham County Council Evenwood ward covers the stretch of road, said the recent incidents, accidents on the A688 were rare.

But she added: “Two is bad enough – it is quite a dangerous road.”

Witnesses to either collision are asked to call the Durham Police accident investigation unit on 0191-375-2159.