A WOMAN and two young boys died in a head-on crash on an East Yorkshire road.

The accident also left a three-year-old girl and a 30-year-old man in hospital with serious injuries.

All five were in the same car.

Police said the 28-year-old woman, the four-year-old boy and the one-year-old boy died on the B1253 Rudston to Boynton road, near Bridlington, at 3.20pm yesterday.

The Ford Orion in which they were travelling was involved in a head-on collision with a Toyota Land Cruiser.

The driver of that vehicle also suffered serious injuries, although they are not life-threatening. He is in Scarborough General Hospital, while the injured from the Orion were taken to Hull Royal Infirmary.

The man who was driving the Orion is not believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries, while the girl is described as in a critical, but stable condition.

The Humberside police helicopter was put on standby as police, firefighters and ambulance crews attended the scene.

Police are urging witnesses to the accident to contact them in an effort to find out what caused the crash. They are asked to call 01482 326111.

The dead were expected to be named today.

Meanwhile, a four-car accident on the A170 near Pickering left one person needing hospital treatment.

The collision between a Mercedes car, a Mercedes van, a Citroen car and a Volkswagen people carrier happened just before noon yesterday on the A170 at Wrelton.

The male driver of the Mercedes car was taken to Scarborough General Hospital suffering from a neck injury. His condition was not thought to be serious.

Updated: 12:06 Thursday, December 12, 2002