THREE vehicles collided on the A34 near Abingdon this afternoon, leaving one man seriously injured and an HGV's cargo strewn across the carriageway. 

The road was closed northbound due to the incident which dislodged the trailer of a HGV littering the road with sausages.

It reopened overnight.

Huge queues stretched back as far as Harwell, with other routes in the area becoming clogged with diverted traffic.

Oxford Mail:

Pic. Thames Valley Police

South Central Ambulance Service said the lorry driver was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital with serious injuries by road, with the air ambulance team travelling with the patient.

The driver of another, smaller lorry involved in the incident was treated at the scene for minor injuries and the third driver was also taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital with minor injuries.

The road was closed between Hinksey and Abingdon, with northbound drivers directed off at Milton Interchange.

Oxford Mail:

Hamid Ullah, who was driving on the road at the time of the accident, predicted it would take 'two to three hours' to clean up the road.

Mr Ullah said: "There's sausages and other food stuffs all over the road. 

"The trailer has become uncoupled and is lying in the road on its side."

A number of emergency vehicles arrived on the scene.

Oxford Mail:

Traffic is reported to be very slow between the A4183 Oxford Road and A423 Southern By-Pass Road.

Paul Smith, a spokesperson for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We received a call at 1.30pm this afternoon to attend a vehicle road traffic accident. 

"Three fire crews were sent including one from the Slade, Headington, one from Abingdon and one from Didcot. 

"A heavy rescue vehicle from Kidlington was also sent."