Updated: A 20-year-old woman died and a second, aged 21, was very seriously hurt in a crash on the A64 near York.

Police arrested two drivers in the wake of the tragedy, which officers said unfolded when a Mercedes CLS went out of control and hit the central barrier.

Four people got out of the Mercedes, but the two women were then hit by a red Mazda. The 20-year-old was taken to York Hospital but died and the 21-year-old was last night in a “very serious condition” after the crash.

The drivers of both vehicles, a 28-year-old man from Bristol and a 39-year-old from York, were arrested after the crash between York and Tadcaster at 2.40am yesterday.

The York man was later bailed but the other driver was still in custody last night.

The name of the dead woman has yet to be released, but North Yorkshire Police – who closed the road for almost seven hours – have issued an appeal for witnesses.

Inspector Dave Sutcliffe said the Mercedes had come to rest straddling both lanes of the A64.

“It is believed the four occupants alighted and two female passengers were struck by a following vehicle. As a result of their injuries, one female died at York Hospital and the other is in a very serious condition in the same hospital.”

Anybody who saw the crash or either of the vehicles before it happened should contact Traffic Constable Richard Ellis, at Tadcaster road policing group on 0845 6060247.

In a separate crash, a man died and his son suffered minor injuries after their Land Rover came off a North Yorkshire road and crashed into a tree before landing on its roof.

The tragedy happened at about 2pm on Saturday between Lofthouse and Pateley Bridge at Gouthwaite. The victim – who was in his 40s – died at the scene. North Yorkshire Police, who believe the man and his son, who is in his 20s, may have been returning from an organised shooting event on nearby moors, have appealed for witnesses to contact the Harrogate road policing unit on 0845 6060247.

•The 12-year-old boy who was thrown on to a car windscreen in a York road as he walked home from school is recovering in hospital. The Archbishop Holgate School pupil was hit by a silver Skoda Fabia at a pedestrian crossing in Hull Road, opposite the Black Bull pub, at about 4pm on Friday.

He was taken to York Hospital with head and abdominal injuries which North Yorkshire Police said at the time were “potentially life-threatening”, but the force has now confirmed his condition is “comfortable”.

The driver of the Skoda – a man in his 60s – stopped immediately following the collision and was not injured. Police say the boy was with a group of other pupils at the time and have appealed for witnesses to come forward. Anybody who saw the crash should phone North Yorkshire Police on 0845 6060247.