Man and woman dead as car ploughs into petrol station in early hours

The Ford Ka was believed to be travelling from Chilton to Thinford before it came off the road and hit a BP petrol station forecourt on the opposite side of the carriageway.

Emergency services rushed to the scene, where both an adult male and female were pronounced dead.

The families of the deceased have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers, according to police.

Alongside Durham Police, responders from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service teams, North East Ambulance Service and Great North Air Ambulance were present.

Police have requested that anyone with information contact them.

This includes those with dashcam footage from before the collision.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called to a road traffic incident in the early hours of 1 November, at 1:41am on Dean Road in Ferryhill.

"We dispatched two fire appliances and two flexi-duty officers to the scene to support emergency service partners from North East Ambulance Service and Durham Police."

A North East Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We were called to a road traffic incident early this morning (November 1) at 1:38am on Dean Road in Ferryhill, Durham.

"We dispatched two ambulance crews, one clinical team leader and two HART resources (Hazardous Area Response Team) and were supported by our colleagues at Great North Air Ambulance Service."

The A167 runs from Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, to the outskirts of Newcastle.

Much of its route was formerly part of the A1, the major north-south artery, before the A1 was rerouted.

It terminates in the Cowgate area of Newcastle, where the route splits into two forks, both of which connect with the modern A1 road.

The Gateshead Highway flyover section of the road has been closed since December 2024 due to serious structural safety concerns and is scheduled for demolition.