MULTIPLE people were taken to hospital after a six-vehicle collision forced police to shut a stretch of motorway near Basingstoke last night (Sunday).
Traffic ground to a halt as the M3 southbound was closed between Junctions 6 and 7, with drivers diverted via Basingstoke and the surrounding routes.
A number of people were treated at the scene of the crash, with four people taken to hospital with “a variety” of injuries.
The road later reopened, although a second incident occurred on the northbound carriageway.
No one involved in the northbound incident required hospital treatment.
Police say they were called to the M3 southbound just before 4.15pm yesterday before closing the road to allow other emergency services to attend, including members of South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS).
Highways England confirmed that the road was closed due to a “police lead incident”.
#M3 Westbound, between #J6 #BasingstokeEast and #J7 #Drummer. Traffic has been stopped for a collision. #TrafficOfficers on scene.
— Highways England (@HighwaysSEAST) January 19, 2020
SCAS say it received a call at around 4.12pm reporting a six-vehicle collision.
A spokesperson for the service added: “The caller reported a six-vehicle collision between Junctions 6 and 7 southbound. We sent two ambulances and a paramedic team leader in a rapid response vehicle.
“In total four patients were taken to North Hampshire Hospital with a variety of minor and slightly more serious injuries.”
HFRS also attended, extracating one woman from her car via the roof before handing the incident over to police.
The incident came just a couple of hours before a second crash on the same motorway left seven people injured – though none were seriously hurt.
This crash took place on the northbound stretch of the M3, just after Junction 5, near Fleet Services, at around 6.30pm.
A spokesperson for SCAS said: “This was a collision involving four to five vehicles, but fortunately all seven people involved only sustained minor injuries and none required hospital treatment.”
HFRS was also in attendance once more.
A spokesperson said: "The call came at 6.44pm last night about an RTC (road traffic collision) on M3 North between Junction 6 and Junction 5.
"Crews from Basingstoke attended. There was an RTC between two vehicles on the highway.
"No one was trapped. HFRS made the scene safe. Stop message came in at 7.14pm."
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