THREE men had to be taken to hospital after a three-car smash on the A59.

The crash close to the turn-off for Sabden and Pendleton, which happened just before 4pm, caused hours of chaos on the roads around Clitheroe, with motorists diverted through the town.

Police were today expected to quiz a driver over the incident.

None of the drivers involved suffered life-threatening injuries but police said they were amazed no one was killed.

A Renault Laguna came to rest down an embankment while a Vauxhall Vectra was left badly damaged on the carriageway. Another vehicle, a Citroen Berlingo van, was also involved.

There were long tailbacks after the road was closed for over five hours as police carried out an investigation and the scene was cleared.

Officers said it appeared the Vauxhall Vectra, travelling towards Whalley, had collided the Citroen van after crossing the carriageway before spinning around and pushing the Renault down the embankment.

Peter Riley, 54, the driver of the Renault, suffered a broken leg, broken wrists and a broken arm. He was to undergo surgery last night.

The Citroen van driver, Keith Marsden, 53, of Hurst Green, also suffered minor injuries, while the driver of the Vectra suffered leg injuries and was also taken to hospital. Police have not named him and are were to question him today.

It took firefighters an hour to cut Mr Riley, of Langshaw Drive, Clitheroe, and the driver of the Vectra free.

Sergeant Stuart Isherwood, of Lancashire Police's road policing unit, said: "The Vectra was travelling towards Whalley when for some reason it appears to have crossed the offside of the road colliding with the van and then spinning around and striking the Renault, which has been pushed down the embankment.

"It was one of those accident where you think 'how has anybody not been killed?' because it was an horrendous collision."