FOUR people were injured, with one taken to hospital following a three-vehicle crash on the A13.

Three people suffered head injuries and one suffered chest pains after the vehicles collided on the Southend-bound carriageway near the Stanford-le-Hope Bypass linking with the A1013 Stanford Road at around 2pm.

Three ambulances rushed to scene and treated three of the people at the scene.

One person was relayed to Basildon Hospital for further treatment.

Motorists experienced severe tailbacks well into rushhour, as one lane was closed while emergency services dealt with the incident.

Albert Keeping, 65, of Tinklerside, Basildon, said: "The traffic near Stanford-le-Hope has been awful for weeks, but tonight it’s taken us nearly two hours to get home. The traffic was just nose-to-tail all the way, it was a nightmare.

"The accident looked really bad, I think there were two cars and a van involved from what I could see, and car parts were laying all along the road. I just hope no one was badly hurt.”

The junction has already seen long delays to drivers as it is currently undergoing a £10million roadworks scheme which will see new three-lane roundabout with traffic lights and a sliproad from The Manorway on to the A13.

Traffic also ground to a halt on Saturday when a crane working on a bridge over the A13 almost fell on to it.

Contractors were drilling near the junction of The Manorway at Stanford-le-Hope to put rods in to strengthen the bridge when the machinery was blown towards the bridge and landed on one of the vehicles.

Traffic was affected across south Essex as far as Sadlers Farm with long tailbacks after Essex Police closed part of the a13 in both directions.