A MOTORIST was killed in a crash on the A59 last night.

The woman, 60, from Manchester, who has not been named by police, was travelling alone along Pendle Road, Clitheroe, at around 8.15pm.

Police are investigating, but said it appeared she may have been trying to turn right on to the quick-moving section of the A59 and drove into the path of a dark blue, R-reg Peugeot 106 heading towards Gisburn.

The woman, who was driving a K-reg Mazda 323, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the Peugeot came to rest in the grass verge against a bollard.

All four occupants of the car were injured and taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital in separate ambulances.

Sgt Peter Sculpher, who is leading the crash investigation, said: "It appears that the woman turned right on to the A59 due to the damage sustained to the cars and the proximity of her car's resting place to the central reservation.

"We have not yet been able to determine fully what has happened."

He said there was initial confusion as to how many cars had been involved in the accident due to the number of other vehicles that stopped at the scene to offer their help.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans has been calling for the introduction of a roundabout near to the crash site in order to reduce the number of major accidents that have happened in recent years.

A 19km stretch of the A59 between Whalley and Skipton features on the European Road Assessment Programme list as a medium to high risk road with 21 fatal or serious collisions between 2003 and 2005.

Officers from the road policing unit have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the accident to call 01254 51212.