A MAN killed in a collision with a horse box on a North Yorkshire road was an 82-year-old cyclist from the Darlington area.

The collision happened at about 11am on Sunday at North Cowton near Northallerton.

Police have now confirmed the man was 82-years-old and from the Darlington area but have not yet released his name.

It is thought the cyclist had entered the main road from the Holywell Lane junction from North Cowton.

Fire crews, police and paramedics attended the scene of the crash, along with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, but the cyclist could not be saved.

Whilst emergency crews attended the scene, a long stretch of the B1263 at North Cowton was closed, starting from the Arden Arms junction in the south.

One bystander, who notified the emergency services when the accident happened, said a member of the public tended to the cyclist in the road before paramedics arrived.

Shortly after the accident an off-duty police officer happened to pass the scene and stopped to help. The Durham Constabulary officer took control of the scene whilst waiting for other emergency crews and re-directed traffic.

Bystanders, shaken by the traumatic incident, then saw one motorist insist on driving through the scene of the accident while the cyclist still lay in the road.

One witness said: “The officer did a great job of controlling the scene.

“I find it hard to believe that someone can insist on getting past a tragic accident and shout and argue about it, when someone is probably lying on the road in front of them, whilst being tended to by a member of the public.”

The man who had alerted the emergency services said they had arrived at the scene swiftly, adding: “It’s a tragedy for all concerned. Praise, though, for the person who tended to them and the emergency services.”

The road was reopened by about 4pm.

Police say the cyclist's next of kin have been informed.

Police are now appealing to anybody who witnessed the accident, or who recalls seeing the horsebox or cyclist prior to the accident to contact the Major Collision Investigation Team with North Yorkshire Police on 101 or email; MCIT@Northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk, quoting referece; 12160018001.