A road accident investigation has been launched after three people were killed and two others were left fighting for their lives in a collision between two vehicles on a bridge.
The horror crash happened on a stretch of the A614 in East Yorkshire at about 1.30pm on Saturday.
It prompted a massive response from the emergency services with three ambulances, two paramedic rapid response vehicles and two air ambulances joining police and firefighters at the remote location.
Humberside Police confirmed both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene along with a front seat passenger from one of the vehicles.
Two other people were taken by the helicopters to Leeds General Infirmary, 30 miles away.
Officers said they had serious "life-threatening" injuries.
No further details have been issued about the dead and injured.
The collision happened on the A614 about a mile south of the village of East Cowick.
The scene is where the road crosses a double bridge over the Aire and Calder Navigation canal and Dutch River, which run parallel to each other across the flat farmland.
Police confirmed the impact was on the more northern of the two crossings, over the canal.
The area is sparsely populated, low-lying countryside and even those living within sight of the bridge were kept well back by police.
But even from 200m away, at the police cordon, the two vehicles could be seen to be so badly damaged it was difficult to work out their makes or even if they were cars or vans.
People living in the area said the A614 between East Cowick and Goole was long and straight which encourages some motorists to travel along it at speed.
The double bridges form a slight elevation and a bend on the single carriageway route.
The road was closed for a number of hours as specially trained officers conducted a detailed investigation of the scene.
The wreckage of the two vehicles was eventually removed about seven hours after the crash.
Insp John Lawson, of Humberside Police, said: "Police are requesting that any witnesses to the collision or that had travelled over the bridge at the time of the collision to contact Humberside Police."
The Yorkshire Ambulance Service confirmed two patients had been airlifted by helicopter from the scene to Leeds General Infirmary.
But a spokeswoman said she could not confirm the nature or seriousness of their injuries.
She said the service was called at 1.33pm and responded with two air ambulances, three land ambulances and two rapid response vehicles.
She said a doctor and a team leader were sent to the scene along with paramedics and a full hazardous area response team was also mobilised.