ROME, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Two people were killed and around 150 taken to hospital for smoke intoxication after a car crashed in a mountain tunnel in northern Italy on Monday, local police said.

The driver was burned to death when his car veered into the guard rail and caught fire in the San Martino tunnel near Lecco, in the foothills of the Alps.

Another motorist died of suffocation and hundreds more left their cars and fled for the exits as smoke filled the tunnel.

Most of those examined in hospital suffered minor smoke intoxication, but eight were held for further treatment.

In 1999, 39 motorists were killed when a fire broke out in the Mont Blanc tunnel under the Alps between France and Italy. (Reporting by Nicola Scevola; writing by Gavin Jones; Rome newsroom; gavin.jones@reuters.com; Phone: +39-06-8522-4232))

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