TWO people have been taken to hospital after a serious crash on the A64 this morning (July 29), which shut the major road in both directions.

North Yorkshire Police said it happened near Bilbrough Top and was reported just before 8am.

A car was travelling on the westbound carriageway and collided with the central reservation barrier.

Emergency services, including police, ambulance crews, and an air ambulance, attended the scene.

A spokeswoman for Yorkshire Ambulance Service said: "The call came in at 7.57am. We had a report of a single car road traffic collision.

"We sent two ambulances, two rapid response vehicles and an air ambulance attended as well.

"We have taken two patients to Leeds General Infirmary by road ambulance. Nobody was taken by air ambulance."

The spokeswoman was unable to comment on what injuries, if any, the two people had suffered.

Meanwhile, a North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman confirmed that a passenger in the car was taken to hospital but had no details about another person being hospitalised.

Highways England said the A64 was closed both ways between the A659 (Tadcaster) and the A1237 (Askham Bryan).

One lane on the eastbound carriageway was reopened shortly afterwards and at about 9.30am Highways England tweeted that one lane on the westbound carriageway was open again.

North Yorkshire Police Traffic Bureau confirmed shortly before 10am that the A64 had fully reopened.

The incident caused traffic jams between York and Tadcaster.

Motorists were urged to avoid the area.