Woman dies after HGV crash on A66 near Barnard Castle

Emergency services were called to the crash involving a HGV and a Citroen Berlingo van near Bowes and Barnard Castle just after 8am on Tuesday (August 26). Despite the efforts of paramedics, a woman in her 30s who was driving the Citroen was pronounced dead. Durham Police said her family has been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

The HGV driver was unhurt but left shaken. The road remains closed westbound at the time of publication while crash investigators work at the scene. Motorists are advised to find an alternative route.

The eastbound carriageway has since reopened. Police, fire, ambulance and air ambulance crews were all in attendance on Tuesday morning. A spokesperson for the Great North Air Ambulance Service said: "Our critical care team was activated at 8.24am to reports of a road traffic collision near Bowes.

Follow our live blog of this incident here: "We had a paramedic and two doctors on board our aircraft and they arrived on scene at 8.35am." A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We were called to a road traffic incident this morning (26 August) at 8:02am on the A66 near Barnard Castle.

"We dispatched two ambulance crews, one clinical team leader and were supported by our colleagues at Great North Air Ambulance Service."