THREE people were trapped in their vehicles after a triple-car smash early today.

The crash in Whalley New Road, Wilpshire, blocked the carriageway for a couple of hours.

The driver of a Nissan Sunny, which had crashed into a lamp post, was released after a matter of minutes but fire crews battled for 45 minutes to release a man from a Vauxhall Nova and over an hour to release the female driver of a Peugeot 309 car. There were no passengers in any of the cars.

Paramedics and an emergency medical team from Blackburn Royal Infirmary treated the two drivers in their vehicles while fire crews used specialist equipment to cut the cars open and spread the mangled wreckages.

The accident happened at around 7.15am near to the former Wilpshire orphanage.

Police closed the road between the Wilpshire Hotel and Langho, diverting morning rush hour traffic onto the A59 through Salesbury. A police spokesman said there was no indication how the accident had happened.

Fire Brigade Station Commander Colin Cunliffe said: "Fire crews from Blackburn and Accrington and the Incident Support Unit from Accrington were called to the accident.

"The first driver was freed as we arrived but we needed to use hydraulic rams, spreaders and cutting gear to release the other two."

Ambulance and paramedic crews from Blackburn, Clitheroe and Broughton were also at the scene.

An ambulance spokesman said: "All three casualties were talking to us during the incident but we have no idea yet as to the extent of their injuries."

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