One person was been rushed to hospital following a three-vehicle smash on the A19.
Reports came in just after 11am on Wednesday that a person was trapped inside a vehicle on the southbound stretch of road near Murton, County Durham, but they were later able to free themselves from the wreckage.
Paramedics and police officers arrived at the crash site moments later while queues of two miles stretched up to Seaton Lane causing huge delays into the early afternoon.
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A spokesman for North East Ambulance Service said they were called at 11.18am and added: "We dispatched two ambulance crews, one crew from our hazardous area response team and a clinical team leader, and transported one patient to Sunderland Royal Hospital.”
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) got the call just minutes later, with a spokeswoman saying: “Reports of a road traffic collision with a person reported trapped, came into CDDFRS control room at 11.24am.
“Two appliances attended the incident, however on arrival the occupants had managed to self-extricate so fire service personnel were no longer needed. Fire crews left the scene at 11.55am.”
Durham Constabulary also attended the scene, with the road fully reopened by 12.30pm.
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