Updated: A MAN had to be cut free after a three-car crash on the A64 in York, but escaped without serious injury.

The 24-year-old man was cut from his Peugeot 206 by firefighters, after the accident on the westbound carriageway near Askham Bryan at 8.20am yesterday.

It was the first of two crashes in quick succession in the area, with another happening on the eastbound carriageway soon afterwards.

Thousands of motorists were caught up in tailbacks as emergency services treated the casualties and dealt with the wreckage. At the first crash police, firefighters and ambulance crews were called after a Mercedes van taxi and a Peugeot 206 collided and then hit the central reservation. A third vehicle, a Ford Focus, swerved to avoid the crash, but was not damaged.

The Peugeot driver was taken by ambulance to York Hospital. The man driving the taxi was not believed to be injured and an elderly woman, who was a passenger in the taxi, was taken to York Hospital with minor injuries. The road reopened at 11.55am.

The second accident happened at about 9.55am and involved a Vauxhall Corsa, a Mercedes Sprinter van and a Mercedes estate car.

The driver of the Mercedes estate, a woman from Leeds, was taken to York Hospital suffering from whiplash injuries.

The driver and passenger of the van and the Corsa driver were all uninjured.

The incident blocked one lane of the carriageway but the road had been cleared by 10.58am.

Both accidents led to long queues of traffic stretching back along the westbound and eastbound carriageways of the A64 past Copmanthorpe and towards its junction near York College and traffic on the A19 towards Selby was also badly hit.

Any witnesses are asked to phone North Yorkshire Police on 0845 6060247.