THREE people are in hospital after an early-hours smash on the M65 which involved at least four vehicles.

One car, a Ford Fiesta, is said to have clipped the central reservation between junctions three and four, shortly before 2.15am on Sunday.

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Then a number of following vehicles collided with the stricken Fiesta, which was still in the carriageway.

Emergency services were alerted and the motorway remained closed between Darwen and Brinscall for most of the morning.

Police said a VW Transporter van managed to avoid the Fiesta – but then a Mitsubishi Pajero hit the Ford and ended up across two lanes of the M65.

An Audi A6 also hit the Fiesta before a Vauxhall Combo van then collided with the Audi.

In the aftermath, the Fiesta driver, a 38-year-old man from Chorley, was taken by ambulance to the Royal Preston Hospital, suffering from bruising, whiplash and possible internal injuries.

The driver of the Mitsubishi, a 20-year-old man from Preston, was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital suffering from neck and knee injuries and shock.

And the Audi driver, a 70-year-old man from Chorley, was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital, suffering from a cut to the head and a knee injury.

While the Vauxhall driver suffered a whiplash injury, he was assessed at the scene and no treatment at hospital was required.

The motorway remained closed for nine hours while investigators surveyed the scene and repairs were carried out to the central reservation.

Sgt Finn Quainton, of the road policing unit, said: “This was a serious collision involving several vehicles.

“I would appeal to anyone who saw the collision or the Fiesta in the moments leading up to the collision, to get in touch with us.”

Watch manager Dave Shaw, of Blackburn Fire Station, said when crews arrived there were three casualties in total, with two of them believed to have suffered ‘serious trauma’ in the accident.

Motorists with any information about the lead-up to the incident should contact police by calling the non-emergency telephone number 101 quoting log number 0190 of November 22.