A MOTORCYCLE pillion passenger was killed and its rider seriously injured when their machine was involved in an accident on the A64.

The incident, near Rillington in Ryedale, takes North Yorkshire's motorcycle death toll to 16 this year - three more than the whole of last year.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said a Honda Fireblade motorcycle, ridden by Paul John Wheeler, 46, of Castleford, West Yorkshire, whose wife Mary, 41, was riding pillion, was travelling westbound in a line of traffic on the A64 towards Malton behind a red Vauxhall Nova saloon.

Soon after leaving Rillington, at about 7.30pm on Saturday, the motorcycle pulled out to overtake, but was forced to take avoiding action when the red Vauxhall Nova also pulled out to overtake.

Mr Wheeler lost control of the Fireblade and both he and his wife were thrown.

Mrs Wheeler died at the scene. Mr Wheeler was taken to Scarborough District Hospital suffering from two broken hands and a broken collar bone.

The road was closed for more than seven hours as police accident investigators examined the accident site.

Traffic Sergeant John Lagan said the driver of a Vauxhall Nova, thought to be in his late teens and from the Scarborough area, returned to the scene of the accident soon afterwards.

His car was taken in to be examined by the forensic team to see if it was involved in the accident and he was expected to be interviewed today.

Sgt Lagan said: "This isn't your typical motorcycle accident. It's quite an unusual one.

"We will be speaking to the independent witnesses and depending on what they say then we may be speaking to the young lad who was driving the car."

Any witnesses to the collision or anybody who saw a red Vauxhall Nova travelling from Scarborough to Rillington shortly before the accident is asked to contact 01609 783131 and ask for PC Malcolm Maude at the road policing unit at Northallerton.

Officers are also keen to speak to the driver of a bus which was travelling in the opposite direction on the A64 towards Scarborough.

The accident happened just one day after the Evening Press highlighted the rising motorcycle death toll in North Yorkshire with a special report.

Thousands of motorcyclists gathered at Oliver's Mount in Scarborough at the weekend for the annual International Bike Week.

The week was rounded off with the legendary Cock O' The North Road Races on Saturday and Sunday.

Spokesman Peter Hillaby said: "It was a super event. We had thousands of people and the weather really made it for us."

In East Yorkshire, a motorcyclist was killed when his Suzuki GS600 Bandit motorcycle struck the kerb as it travelled north along the A614 at Londesborough, one mile south of the Water and Enthorpe crossroads.

Philip Abbott, 38, of Snaith, East Yorkshire, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which happened at 10.15am yesterday.

Updated: 11:57 Monday, July 15, 2002