THREE people from North Yorkshire have been killed in separate road accidents.

One man died and another two people were seriously injured in a head-on collision on the A6055 between Knaresborough and Ferrensby, and another man suffered fatal injuries on the A170 near Sinnington, between Kirkbymoorside and Pickering.

Meanwhile, a 23-year-old Tadcaster man has died in a freak road accident while backpacking in Australia.

Andrew Baxter was killed instantly when he was hit by a car on an isolated stretch of freeway near Sydney.

He had been returning to the city after visiting a cousin in Melbourne when his car left the road and became stuck in the central reservation's soft ground.

Mr Baxter is believed to have been trying to flag down passing vehicles for help when he was hit on the middle lane of the three-lane road at 3.45am on Thursday.

A spokesman for New South Wales Police confirmed Mr Baxter was killed after being hit by a pick-up truck.

In North Yorkshire, the victim of the Sinnington crash, which happened at about 1am, was driving a Peugeot 205.

Police said he died at the scene and no other vehicles were involved. Anyone witnesses should contact TC Claire Sawyer on 01609 789212.

The third accident, near Ferrensby at about 7pm yesterday, was a head-on collision between a Nissan Micra and a Vauxhall Vectra.

The Micra driver died at the scene. The two people in the Vectra were taken to Harrogate District Hospital suffering serious abdominal and chest injuries.

Witnesses should contact PC Andy Stow on 01423 539474.

The family of the man who died in Australia have spoken of their loss.

Mr Baxter's mother, Helen, 52, from Station Road, Tadcaster, today spoke of her helplessness that she cannot be with her son, who she remembers as a lovely, popular boy.

"I just want him home now so I can tell him I love him and I miss him and say goodbye," she said.

"Before he left, the house was always full of people. He was shy, but had a lot of friends."

His father, Richard, 54, who works at John Smith's Brewery, added: "He was a shy lad. He was not that big and confident with himself and he was really pleased to go to Australia. It was a terrible accident."

Andrew, who used to work as a wood machinist at Thorp Arch, near Wetherby, travelled to Australia for a three-month backpacking holiday in February.

His funeral is expected to be held later next week.

Updated: 10:16 Saturday, March 02, 2002