TWO men are in hospital after a car ended up on its roof after being pursued by a police car.

Both were hurt when the car skidded, crashed and careered off Wakefield Road near Grange Moor, landing in a field.

The crash in the early hours of yesterday morning brought misery for thousands of commuters wanting to travel along Wakefield Road at Grange Moor.

Police closed the road for nine hours with lengthy diversions in place through the centre of Flockton, as officers investigated the incident.

The crash involving a black BMW, which had failed to stop after being asked to by police officers in Wakefield, happened around 100 yards from the Yorkshire Mining Museum at Overton.

The pursuit ran for more than six miles.

The road has been the scene of many previous accidents, which have claimed lives

A museum worker said the road had been closed since before 5am as her husband had telephoned to say the diversion was in place while on his way to work.

She said the road had been blocked off from Grange Moor roundabout to Green Lane in Middlestown.

But hundreds of visitors were able to access the Museum from the Middlestown side.

Police officers patrolled all roads leading to the scene and prevented anyone from accessing the site.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “At 4.30am today, police were called to a report of a black BMW being driven erratically in Westgate, Wakefield.

“Officers attended. The vehicle failed to stop and made off down Westgate towards Horbury.

“It was followed by a video equipped police traffic car. At 4.40am the BMW left the A642 carriageway and was found on its roof in a field at Overton, near Wakefield.”

The driver and passenger was taken to Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, with injuries not believed to be life threatening.

The incident is being investigated by West Yorkshire Police’s collision investigation unit with the West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Department. The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also been informed.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The road has been the scene of many accidents and fatalities.

Figures show between 2004 and 2008 there were 78 accidents on the five-mile stretch, with 10 people killed.

As a result of all the accidents, more than a dozen extra speed cameras were installed on the stretch between Lepton and Middlestown.