TWO people were hurt in an A34 crash near Kidlington on Thursday afternoon, when traffic was held at a standstill for more than four hours.

There were at least eight miles of tailbacks on the northbound carriageway from near the Peartree Interchange, with one person taken to hospital with serious leg injuries.

All three emergency services were on the scene, with motorists stranded on the accident-prone road and long delays building up around the area.

Hydraulic cutting equipment was used to rescue one passenger from a van, which was caught up in the collision which also involved two lorries.

South Central Ambulance Service said one of the victims was taken to hospital but the full extent of their condition remains unknown.

Communications Manager Michelle Archer explained: “We were called at 1.30pm yesterday afternoon to the A34 to a collision involving multiple vehicles.

“We had on scene two ambulance crews, two ambulance officers and the critical care car from the Thames Valley Air Ambulance assessing two patients, only one of which was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital with serious leg injuries.”

She continued: “Staff who remained on scene after the patient had left, also checked out members of the public who were in the traffic to ensure they were okay and that the vulnerable had water.”

As it happened: A34 'serious' crash near Kidlington delays traffic

Traffic was turned around and diverted following the incident, near the A44 junction, before the road reopened at around 7pm.

Police labelled the incident a serious road traffic collision but refused to comment further.

Speaking on behalf of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Paul Smith said: “We sent three crews and a rescue tender. They’d left the scene by 3.30pm, having rescued one person who was trapped in a vehicle (the van).

“They used hydraulic equipment to do so.”

Earlier the council had warned motorists to avoid the area.

Traffic stretched as far south as Sunningwell during the afternoon – more than eight miles from the scene of the crash.

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Highways England Media Relations Manager Harry-Jay Bellew confirmed that two HGVs and a lorry were involved and the road was shut at 2.20pm, before reopening at 6.25pm.

He added: “The incident occurred at 1.32pm. The carriageway was closed between the A44 (Yarnton) and the B4027 (near Islip).

“Thames Valley Police started releasing trapped traffic... on the closed road and by 5.50pm all traffic had been released.”

A racing event planned in Bletchingdon was postponed until next week as a result of the traffic, with participants Hook Norton Harriers sending their best wishes to those involved in the incident.