THE notorious A419 has claimed more lives following a horrific pile-up.

Three people died near Cricklade when a Vauxhall Astra travelling northbound crossed the central reservation into the path of a Land Rover Discovery.

The driver of the Vauxhall Astra, Khurn Sawar, 28, who lived in Birmingham but worked in Swindon, died at the scene. The Land Rover driver, Matthew Williamson, 31, from Harnham in Surrey, also died instantly.

Mr Williamson's passenger, Michael Naylor, 31, from Coddington, near Ledbury, was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Three other cars were involved in the crash, at around 7pm on Saturday. Two occupants of a second Vauxhall Astra suffered shock. The two men, aged 17 and 47, were from the Cricklade area. Other vehicles were damaged but there were no further injuries. Police today said they were investigating why Mr Sawar's Vauxhall Astra swerved suddenly across the carriageway.

Sgt Richard Moorhouse of Swindon Police said: "It could have been a mechanical fault, the driver may have fallen asleep, something may have caused him to swerve."

Any witnesses to the accident are asked to call Sgt Mark Levitt or PC Richard Dimond on Swindon 528111.

The crash is the latest in a string of accidents on the A419 which earlier this year prompted Wiltshire coroner David Masters to invoke a rarely used procedure to alert the Government to the road's dangers. This weekend's accident puts the death toll on the road to nine in just two years.

Mr Masters' call came after 42-year-old engineer Brian Gates, a project engineer from Abbey Meads, died when he was struck by a car as he walked home from an Army reunion in South Cerney.

The accident happened near the scene of Saturday's accident near Cricklade, where there is no walkway and the road is not well lit.

Honda worker Trevor Cuss, 39, also died on the A419 near Blunsdon last year when his bicycle was hit from behind by a lorry driven by Simon Dearing.

In the same month Kelly Mason, 22, died of head and chest injuries after her car was in collision with another at the Castle Eaton junction.

In another accident, motorcyclist Gary Lees was killed after being struck twice by cars on the A419.

The 25-year-old, of Haydon Street, was in a collision with a Renault estate car and immediately afterwards hit by a Peugeot 106.

Swindon Council will this week give its backing to a plan to improve safety on the road.

n Safety plan, page 13