POLICE have confirmed the identity of the woman killed in a car crash near Kirkby Lonsdale yesterday as Barrow resident, 73-year-old Marion Teresa Jones.

The incident, which took place shortly before 1.30pm, involved three cars. Another woman, from Longtown, suffered serious injuries and a male suffered minor injuries.

The collision, at Spital Farm, between Crooklands and Kirkby Lonsdale, closed the A65 for around five hours.

Paramedics were joined at the scene by police and firefighters, as well as the Great North Air Ambulance Service and the North West Air Ambulance Service.

According to a Cumbria police spokeswoman, two Volkswagen Golf cars, bring driven in opposite directions, 'clashed door mirrors' before becoming involved in a serious collision with an Audi TT.

Ms Jones, who had been driving one of the Volkswagen cars, died at the scene, while her male passenger suffered minor injuries and was taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

The male driver of the other Volkswagen did not suffer any injuries.

The female driver of the dark blue Audi suffered serious injuries and was taken by air ambulance to Preston.

A spokeswoman for Cumbria Police said: "Despite valiant efforts by police officers and passing motorists, who were all on the scene within moments of the collision occuring, and who immediately administered first aid and CPR, the driver of the first Volkswagen Golf, a woman from the Barrow-in-Furness area, tragically died at the scene."

A series of road blocks remained in place until 6.30pm, closing the stretch of the A65 between the Crooklands roundabout, at junction 36 of the M6, and Kirkby Lonsdale.