UK snow chaos: 17 cars in pile-up on A120 - Road CLOSED as blizzard hits
THE A120 is closed after a 17-vehicle pile-up as heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures cause treacherous conditions on UK roads.
'Beast from the East' causes huge car pileup on A120
The crash on the A120 left one person injured and was one of 39 crashes dealt with by police in the space of a few hours.
Essex Police has confirmed one lane was shut on the eastbound dual carriageway between Colchester and Elmstead Market at roughly 10am.
Officers said many cars were damaged in the collision.
The pile-up comes as three people died in a crash between a car and a lorry in Lincolnshire.
The route was icy and had experienced snowfall, and police have confirmed the weather will form a part of their investigation.
A man has died after a crash on the A47 in Cambridgeshire, police said.
The three-car collision - the third on the same stretch of road near Peterborough - took place this morning and involved three vehicles.
The A47 is closed in both directions between Castor and Wansford, with drivers urged to avoid the area or expect delays.
Big pile up on the #a120 #Colchester drive safe out there #beastfromtheast pic.twitter.com/a61KN6BqUh
— Rebecca (@rebex91) February 27, 2018
Another person was injured and the A120 was partially closed after a 17-car pile-up between Colchester and Elmstead Market, Essex Police said.
A jackknifed lorry closed the A52 near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, this morning.
Police said the road would be closed for several hours and urged motorists to pick a different route.
The lorry spilled its load on the road between Osmaston and Shirley at roughly 6am.
A police spokesman said: “A52 near Ashbourne. LGV going round a bend jackknifed then loses it’s load of two lorries and a car. Insufficient tethering and securing of load - driver reported for summons. Other drivers should buy a lottery ticket having narrowly avoided a collision.
“A52 between Osmaston and Shirley will remain closed in both directions whilst recovery of LGV and lost load completed. Expected to be 2+ hours, find an alternative route.”
Slow-moving traffic caused delays on the M2 in Kent westbound, between junctions seven and five, Highways England said.
HGVs struggling in the snow have caused delays on the M20 in both directions between junctions eight and nine, adding up to two hours to journey times, Highways England added.
Met Office warns of 'bitter winds' and '40cm of snow'
The A249 in Kent was closed following a crash between two lorries.
Vince Crane, of the AA, said: "With the sub-zero temperatures this week, drivers should allow extra time to properly de-ice the car and check their route before setting off - try to favour gritted roads if possible.
"Accidents happen when people rush so when on the road, leave plenty of space behind the car in front and drive to the conditions."
Highways England has reported there are long delays on the M60 and M61 in Manchester southbound due to a broken down car.
Beast from the East brings heavy snow to City of London
The vehicle has now been recovered, but journey times are said to be taking 90 minutes above usual because of sever weather conditions.
Transport services have been hit by snow overnight as up to 10cm of snow is expected to settle in parts of the country today, causing disruption on the roads and to trains.
The Met Office has said several centimetres of snow has fallen in parts of the country, with 1cm in Kent by 5am and between 3cm and 4cm in Newcastle and Northumberland, and warned there is a likelihood of some stranded vehicles and passengers due to the weather.
Network Rail has said several train companies are reporting cancellations and alterations to services today.
Southeastern, which operates in Kent, has cancelled more than 100 services including several to London St Pancras, London Victoria, and Cannon Street.
More than 200 Greater Anglia were cancelled for yesterday and today as the operator runs a limited service, with less frequent and slow
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