POLICE believe that motorists who were in the vicinity of a fatal crash on the A169 Malton to Pickering road on Sunday may hold vital information.

Officers are appealing for the occupants of a dark-coloured car, which was travelling towards Malton in front of a silver-coloured Peugeot 206, and those in a couple of cars travelling behind the Peugeot, to come forward - even if they think they know nothing about the subsequent collision.

The silver Peugeot and an oncoming blue Vauxhall Cavalier collided at Howe Bridge at 11.50am on Sunday.

Sharon Dowson, 40, of Farm Close Whitby, who was a front seat passenger in the Peugeot, was killed. Four other people, including a five-year-old girl, who was a passenger in the Vauxhall, needed hospital treatment.

A police spokeswoman said that the Peugeot had been travelling in a line of cars, some of which stopped at the scene of the accident, but at least one car travelling in front of the Peugeot and two travelling behind did not stop.

The occupants of those cars should contact TC Stuart Langford on 01723 509555.

Updated: 09:27 Friday, January 24, 2003