AN MP and residents are calling for new safety measures on the A64 after another two pedestrians were killed while crossing the road this weekend.

A man and a woman, in their 50s, were hit by a small white SUV while crossing the A64 near the Welburn turn, between York and Malton, at about 10.55pm on Friday, North Yorkshire Police have confirmed.

The pair, who have not been named, but are from the local area, were crossing the road on foot from a bus stop.

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It comes just weeks after a couple from the Malton area - Dave Tinker, 50, and Julie Gough, 52 - were killed when they were hit by a minibus while crossing the A64 at Crambeck, near Welburn.

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, and local residents are now calling for action to improve the safety of the A64.

Mr Hollinrake said: “I think it is clear new measures are needed. The A64 generally has terrible accident blackspots. I think 10 people have now died in the last 12 months on the A64.

“The only proper solution is a dual carriageway from York to at least Malton. I have been working very hard to press Highways England to dual this carriageway. I am very hopeful they will announce that they will do that soon. I think it would be completed in stages. The first section would hopefully be completed by 2023.” In the short term, Mr Hollinrake suggests a better crossing point or speed cameras could be installed in the Welburn and Crambeck areas of the A64.

“I would like to set up a meeting with the police, Highways England, local authorities and local residents to look at what can be done in the short term,” he said.

Speaking about Friday’s fatal crash, he added: “It’s tragic. It’s a needless loss of life. Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this very sad time.”

A Welburn resident who lives near the junction, but didn’t want to be named, where the collision happened on Friday said he was “shocked” to hear another two pedestrians had died.

“It is awful what happened,” he said.

“The biggest surprise is that it happened after an identical incident about six weeks ago.”

He added: “It has hazards. I have got off the bus late at night. It depends on the moonlight. If it is a full moon you can see the road. It’s easier to cross over. If there’s no moonlight you cannot even see your feet on the ground. There’s no street lights around here.” Another local resident said: “There have got to be some lights there or some sort of crossing.

“If anything good can come out of this it would be some sort of traffic control measures put in place to enable people to cross safer.”

Maggie Dzienisiewicz, duty manager at the Crown and Cushion pub in Welburn, said: “It is not the best junction to cross both lanes in a car. You can’t really see vehicles coming from Malton. It is really dark at night. It needs lights.”

The man and woman killed in the crash on Friday “were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics,” a spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said.

The collision led to the closure of the A64 in both directions until 3.35am on Saturday to allow a full investigation of the scene.

The driver of the SUV, a man aged in his 50s from the Wakefield area of West Yorkshire, and his wife in the passenger seat, were uninjured, the police spokesman said. The SUV was travelling east towards Scarborough.

Police inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding Friday’s collision.

Witnesses or anyone who recalls seeing the man and woman or the SUV prior to the crash, are urged to phone North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for the Major Collision Investigation Team or email MajorCollisionInvestigationTeam2@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk, quoting reference number 12170110217.