POLICE are apealling for witnesses after a woman sustained potentially life-threatening injuries in a three vehicle crash on the A272 at Rogate on Thursday, March 9

Inspector Stewart Goodwin of the Sussex and Surrey roads policing unit said: “The crash meant the closure of the A272 between Petersfield and Rogate. Westbound heavy goods vehicles were diverted at Midhurst.“Anyone who saw what happened or noticed any of the vehicle involved being driven shortly before the collision is asked to get in touch, quoting Operation Thor.”The 59-year-old female driver of a Vauxhall Adam, from Waterlooville, was flown from the scene by air ambulance to Southampton General Hospital. The ambulance landed in a field at Durleigh Marsh Farm, just outside Rogate.

The accident, at 9.41am, on the Hampshire and West Sussex border, left two other motorists with injuries.

A 37-year-old man from Burgess Hill, who was driving a Renault box van which rolled onto its side, and a 46-year-old Peugeot 207 driver from Emsworth, were both taken to Queen Alexander Hospital, Portsmouth.

There were police road blocks in place all day at the A272 turn off to Rogate and Midhurst, just past Sheet, and in Rogate village, by the village Stores.

“Everyone turned up at the scene, fire engines and police and the air ambulance,” said villager Nicola Kohn. “It took a long time to get everyone out.”

A motorist from Trotton, who did not want to be named, said he was driving just behind the vehicles when the crash happened.

He saw vehicles with bonnets and doors hanging off and a van on its side. “I turned around as the drivers of at least four cars in front of me got out to help,” he said.

To contact Sussex Police visit the website http://sussex.police.uk/contact-us/response-to-appeal/