EARLY morning traffic came to a standstill after a man had to be cut free from his car following a collision with a lorry on the A33 next to Wellington Country Park.

A heavy goods vehicle crashed into a car on Basingstoke Road in Heckfield at 6.15 am on Tuesday January 3, halting the hundreds of commuters travelling across Reading for the first day of work of the New Year.

Both doors of the car, a Nissan Qashqai, had to be removed in order to free the driver, who was taken to Royal Berkshire Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The other driver sustained minor injuries.

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: "Officers were called at about 6.15am today following reports of a collision between a car and a lorry.

"They attended the scene along with the fire and ambulance services, as well as officers from Hampshire Police, and a road closure was put in place."

Drivers faced lengthy delays as the northbound carriageway was closed for over an hour.

Traffic is now running as normal after being re-directed from the nearby roundabout.

Crew manager, Martin O'Keefe, from Whitley Wood Fire Station added: "Police, paramedics and fire fighters attended a road traffic collision on Basingstoke Road this morning, involving one car and one lorry.

"There was one casualty in the car, who was extricated using cutting gear. Both doors had to be removed to free the driver."