A MOTORIST suffered serious head injuries in a crash which led to the closure of a North Yorkshire dual carriageway for hours.

The man, in his 20s, was airlifted to hospital by air ambulance helicopter following the accident, which happened on the northbound A19 near Thirsk at about 1.45pm yesterday.

North Yorkshire Police said his head injuries were initially believed to be life-threatening and a full investigation was launched which led to the closure of the road in both directions.

However, following his arrival at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, his injuries – while serious – were no longer considered to be life-threatening.

Despite this, the investigation continued, with traffic diverted through Thirsk to South Kilvington.

The accident happened about half a mile north of the junction with the A168, just before the A170 flyover.

“The single vehicle involved was a Grey Range Rover Sport and was travelling northbound when it left the road to the nearside.

"We are appealing for anyone who saw this vehicle prior to the collision being driven on the A19 or who witnessed the collision occur to contact the Major Collision Investigation Team by emailing mcit@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk or phoning 101, asking for option 2, Major Collision Investigation Team, quoting ref NYP-24052015-0262.”