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Police asked why town cut off for five hours over death crash
QUESTIONS are being asked about why it was necessary to leave a market town partially cut off for five-and-a-half hours while the emergency services dealt with a fatal head-on collision between a motorcycle and a car.
Two air ambulances, two road ambulances, two fire engines and seven police cars were sent to the incident near the Moorcock Inn on the A684 west of Hawes on Saturday, May 30 at 2.40pm.
North Yorkshire Police closed the road until after 8pm to allow collision investigation experts to examine the scene. Hawes and upper Wensleydale were cut off from the west. Traffic from Sedbergh, Kendal and the M6 was sent on 20-mile diversions over minor roads climbing to 2,000ft.
Hawes and High Abbotside parish council has asked the police to give an explanation at next week's North Yorkshire County Council area committee for Richmondshire.
Parish council chairman John Blackie, who represents the Upper Dales on North Yorkshire County Council, said the parish council could not understand why so many police attended and why some travelled through Hawes with blue lights flashing one-and -a-half hours after the crash.
During the closure a father from Hawes was not allowed to pass the scene to collect his 14-year-old daughter from Garsdale station even though he offered to park his car and walk past the crash to the station a mile away. He had to make a 25-mile diversion to reach his daughter, who had no mobile phone contact.
A group of cyclists heading for Hawes arrived at the scene two-and-a-half hours after the collision. They were refused permission to walk past on the grass verge and were not allowed to cross into a field and follow the old railway line. Their 20-mile diversion over the Buttertubs Pass took two-and-a-half hours and some lost booked accommodation.
Coun Blackie said: "The delay in reopening the road led to much inconvenience to local residents and visitors alike, and lost custom for businesses in Hawes."
A police spokesman said a response would be given to the area committee, but added: "While North Yorkshire Police acknowledges the disruption to traffic and local residents when serious and fatal collisions occur, the priority has to be... thorough investigation... to ensure all evidence is recorded... "
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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