MOTORISTS have been urged to drive more cautiously in adverse weather following a series of crashes which saw two people cut out of cars and three people hospitalised.

Emergency services were stretched on Friday throughout the afternoon and evening after six separate car crashes on the A3066 and A356 in Crewkerne and the A358 near Ilminster led to traffic chaos in the area.

Three people were taken to hospital and two main roads were closed, as Avon and Somerset Police drafted in officers from Dorset Police to help assist with the smashes.

In the first incident, a woman in her 60s was rushed to hospital after a three-car crash in Crewkerne on North Street shortly before 3.30pm.

The woman was taken to Yeovil District Hospital after suffering head and neck injuries in the smash. It is not thought that the injuries are life-threatening.

Shortly after at around 4pm, five people were treated by paramedics for injuries after a four-car crash on A356, at the junction with A3066.

Police officers were forced to close the A3066 following the smashes, and closed it from Misterton junction up to Cheddington Lane, with the road not reopening for several hours. It is believed that none of the injuries are serious.

There were reports of up to five smaller crashes along the two roads as motorists battled adverse weather conditions as the roads were lashed with rain, hail and strong winds as Storm Jake swept through the county.

Later that evening at around 8pm, two people had to be cut out of their cars after a four-car crash on the A358 near Peasmarsh.

Two people were trapped within two of the cars, and three fire crews from Chard, Taunton and Ilminster helped cut the two people out of the car using hydraulic cutting equipment, two safety jets and an environmental pack.

The two casualties were then taken to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. It is not thought that their injuries are serious.

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said: “We were called to the incident at 7.44pm on Friday evening, to a four-vehicle road traffic collision.

“There were two people trapped in the car, who had to be cut out by firefighters. They were conscious and breathing when they were taken out of the car.”

Following the series of smashes, neighbourhood beat manager for Chard PC Paul Thomas urged motorists to drive with caution during adverse winter weather.

PC Thomas said: “As the winter weather arrives, with a lot of rain and ice, conditions on the roads can be quite dangerous for drivers.

“We have had a lot of rain and some high winds, and this can be particularly bad on the country lanes around Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster.

“Drivers need to drive safely according to the conditions that they are in, whether there is a lot of rain and wind or whether there is some overnight frost on the road.

“Some minor country lanes are not gritted which can make them slippy so drivers need to exercise caution, especially if driving in adverse weather conditions.”

PC Thomas added: “Luckily, nobody was killed or seriously injured in these collisions, but we need to try and reduce the number of crashes to try and make sure there aren’t any fatalities.”