Four taken to hospital after air ambulance called to five-vehicle crash on A19 near Murton

Four people have been taken to hospital after a five-car crash closed a major commuter road this morning.

The A19 was shut between Peterlee and Easington from around 8.20am after the serious incident, which saw southbound traffic queue for miles during rush hour as emergency services responded.

A silver van on the grass verge can be seen with badly damaged rear doors, while a low-loader looks to be readying another van to be taken away.

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Drivers were being diverted away from the scene as an air ambulance landed on the dual carriageway, where a paramedic and doctor assessed a patient.

Durham Police confirmed officers attended the incident and have warned of further delays throughout Tuesday with a lane closure in place as repairs to the barriers take place.

A total of four patients were transported to Sunderland Royal Hospital. The extent of their injuries is currently unknown.

A North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) spokesman said: "We received a call shortly before 8am this morning to reports of a five vehicle road traffic collision on the A19 southbound.

“We sent two Hazardous Area Response Teams, a clinical team leader and three emergency ambulance crews and transported four patients to Sunderland Royal Hospital for further treatment."

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