A North Yorkshire policewoman has died after she was struck by a lorry while helping at the scene of another crash on the side of a highway.
Constable Rosie Prior was standing on the verge of the A19 at Bagby, near the village of Thirsk, on Saturday morning when she and two others were struck by an approaching heavy goods vehicle (HGV) just before 9am, authorities said.
Prior and Ryan Welford, 41, from Knaresborough, who had been involved in the first collision, both died at the scene. A teenage boy who was a passenger in Welford’s car was also struck and remained in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
North Yorkshire police said the driver of the HGV, a 65-year-old man from Berwick-upon-Tweed, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He was released under investigation.
The North Yorkshire police chief constable, Tim Forber, paid tribute to Prior, confirming her death with “profound sadness”.
“We are doing everything we can to support Rosie’s family, along with the family of a man who was also tragically killed in the incident,” he said.
“This is clearly a deeply traumatic and heartbreaking event for everyone involved.”
The force said Prior joined North Yorkshire police as a student officer in May 2022.
Her family said the “loving mum, wife, daughter, sister, aunty will be deeply missed”.
Welford’s family provided a statement to North Yorkshire police saying: “Ryan was a hardworking and loving father, husband, son and brother. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.”
The scene of the collision reopened at about 7.20pm on Saturday.
Two cars and the lorry were removed and the surrounding roads cleared of debris. Police called for witnesses and motorists with relevant dashcam footage to come forward.
With PA Media
Source: theguardian.com
