TWO teenagers and a girl aged nine were struck by hit-and-run drivers as more road accident mayhem unfolded in North and East Yorkshire.

Among the crashes was a large pile-up on the M62 near Goole, in which eight people were hurt - four of them seriously.

The hit-and-run accidents, both in York, happened only 48 hours after city schoolgirl Katie Scales was badly hurt by a motorist who failed to stop.

Early today, two teenagers were taken to hospital, one with a suspected broken leg, after they were hit by a car near a York nightspot.

Hours earlier, a driver reversed into the nine-year-old schoolgirl as she walked to school with a friend aged six in Acomb yesterday.

The six-year-old escaped unhurt, but the girl was slightly hurt. The motorist left the scene.

Katie, a 12-year-old All Saints' RC School pupil, remains in hospital today after the hit and run incident in Blossom Street on Wednesday, which left her with multiple fractures and facial injuries.

Meanwhile, in East Yorkshire today, emergency services closed the eastbound carriageway of the M62 after more than a dozen vehicles were involved in a pile-up.

Four people were taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary by ambulance with serious injuries and four people were taken to Goole District Hospital with minor injuries after the smash at about 7am.

The teenagers caught up in a hit-and-run crash were walking along Toft Green, near Toffs nightclub, when they were knocked down at about 2.30am.

One was believed to have suffered a broken leg while the other received cuts and bruises. Both were taken to York District Hospital.

A police spokesman said today that as a result of inquiries at the scene, the driver of a silver Ford Focus car was later stopped and arrested.

The schoolgirl suffered a hand injury when she was hit by a red car as it reversed from a driveway in Gale Lane, Acomb.

Police said although the car stopped, the driver did not get out of the vehicle or leave any details, and they would now like to speak to the motorist.

The M62 incident unfolded after a minor accident at about 7am left a vehicle jutting out from the central reservation near the M18 junction.

Police received reports that a large number of vehicles, including some lorries, shunted into each other as motorists approached the scene.

Officers closed the motorway between junction 35, near Snaith and junction 36, near Goole. There were reports of debris on the westbound carriageway and a 50mph speed limit was imposed.

Two lanes of the eastbound carriageway were reopened at about 9am but one lane remained shut as workers continued to remove vehicles from the scene.

Police have renewed their appeal for witnesses to the Blossom Street hit-and-run, which occurred at about 4.20pm on Wednesday.

They would particularly like to speak to the driver of a black Punto car, who is believed to have gone through a red light.

Anyone with any information about any of the hit and run incidents is asked to contact York Police on 01904 631321.

Updated: 12:06 Friday, December 06, 2002