UPDATED: One lane re-opened on Westway northbound after two accidents (From Essex County Standard)

UPDATED: One lane re-opened on Westway northbound after two accidents

9:06am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News By Will Lodge

FIREFIGHTERS cut a woman free from her car following two crashes within 30 minutes on a busy commuter route.

Emergency services were first called to Westway at 7.30am after a blue BMW collided with a lamppost. No-one was hurt in the crash, but a repair team from Essex Highways was called to make the lamppost safe.

While traffic was building around the crash site another three vehicle collision happened around 50 metres further down the road at around 8am.

A woman was cut out of her black Ford Ka with suspected neck injuries by crews from Colchester fire station and attended by paramedics. She was conscious and breathing.

Two vans, a white Volkswagen Crafter and a blue VW campervan, were also involved in the crash. The drivers were not injured.

PC Alex Southgate, of the Stanway Road Policing Unit, said the road would be closed for a couple of hours while repairs are made to the lamppost and the cars are removed from the scene.

One lane has now been re-opened but traffic is still slow moving past the crash site.

Traffic initially trapped behind the crashes were directed by police back along the carriageway to the Balkerne Hill roundabout.