TWO drivers were killed in separate smashes two hours apart on Oxfordshire roads.

A woman was pronounced dead at the scene after a red Citroen C4 and a blue Volkswagen Passat collided on the westbound carriageway of the A420 at the Botley/Farmoor sliproad at about 5.20pm on Tuesday.

Yesterday wreckage, including part of a bumper and a headlight, could be seen six feet off the ground in nearby trees.

The male driver of the Citroen, and a girl passenger in the Passat, were treated at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital for minor injuries.

Rush-hour traffic in Oxford was gridlocked as police accident investigators shut the carriageway for five hours.

At around 7.30pm, on the B430 just north of Weston-on-the-Green near Bicester, a 51-year-old man from the Witney area died in a crash as he pulled out at a crossroads. He was driving a Vauxhall Corsa when it was involved in a collision with a Range Rover.

He was also declared dead at the scene. Neither victim had been named last night.

Sgt Jack Hawkins, of Thames Valley Police road death investigation team, said: “The circumstances of these two incidents are very different and there doesn’t appear to be a common factor.

“With the accident at Weston-on-the-Green, the road used to be subject to a 60mph speed limit but in the past few months a 40mph limit has been introduced and we are looking to see if speed was a factor.

“As a matter of course, we are also checking to see if mobile phones were a factor but have no reason to believe drink or drugs were involved.”

Sgt Hawkins said the Corsa travelled along Akeman Street and pulled out of the crossroads on to Northampton Road when it was involved in the collision with the Range Rover, which was travelling towards Weston-on-the-Green. The male driver of the Range Rover, who is from the Bicester area, escaped with minor injuries.

Fire crews used cutting gear to remove the roof of the Range Rover to free a woman passenger and she was treated for injuries at the JR before being discharged yesterday.

Sgt Hawkins said: “Drivers need to stick to the speed limit, make sure their lights are working on a dark night, and if they are not familiar with the location they need to take even more care.”

Yesterday there was also a crash involving a car and a motorcyclist on the A4130 at Milton Hill, near Steventon, shortly after 8am.

South Central Ambulance spokesman James Keating-Wilkes said the motorcyclist was taken to the JR but the extent of his injuries were not known last night.

Anyone with information about any of the accidents should contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously 0800 555111.