RESIDENTS say “it is only a matter of time” before someone is killed on a main road between York and Selby.

Following a crash between a motorhome and a car on the A19, close to Riccall Road, last month, residents in Escrick and Riccall have called for the speed limit to be lowered.

It has not been suggested that speed was a factor in the crash but the police investigation is ongoing.

Both drivers were taken to York Hospital following the crash, which happened at about 10pm on Monday, April 30.

Local residents said they were worried about the speed limit of the road, which is currently set at 60mph, and said they feared it was only a matter of time before someone was seriously hurt or killed.

One local resident, who asked not to be named, said: “This area has potential for a fatality and this is causing great concern for all local residents and businesses.

“Luckily no one was killed but had this happened earlier on in the evening this could have been very different. The motorhome is sat in the gateway where all the people using the public transport would stand and vacate the business park. This could have been a mother and child under that van, as there’s a children’s nursery on the site.”

Jill Oakland lives in Riccall Road, Escrick, and said the speed limit on the road had been a concern for some time.

She said: “There are five vehicle access roads here, and one hand gate used by the Young Discoverers Nursery. There is a bus stop on each side of the road.

“The traffic is doing 60mph and the road is straight, resulting in cars overtaking in both directions . Only one of the entrances has a turning lane, to turn into the others you take your life in your hands. It is only a matter of time before there is a fatality if nothing is done.”

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council, the authority responsible for setting the speed limit of the road, said it worked with City of York Council, emergency services and other agencies as part of the 95 Alive partnership to reduce road collisions in North Yorkshire, but the decision on speed limits would come down to guidance set by the Department for Transport.

He said: “Before any change to an existing speed limit is made, we refer to the Department for Transport’s guidance on setting local speed limits.

“We must take many factors into account, including safety and accident prevention, the local environment, whether the change will affect vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists or motorbikes, whether it will help local people to feel safer, the effect on journey times, the costs of putting it in place, the costs of installing and maintaining any changes to the road and the costs of enforcement. The county council and North Yorkshire Police work together in determining, or considering, any speed limit changes.”

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information which could help police should phone 101 quoting reference 12180074621.