Miles of tailbacks on A19 after three-vehicle crash in morning rush hour

Cleveland Police officers were called to the scene of the collision, near Billingham, at around 7.50am.

According to Highways England, one southbound lane was closed between the A139 and A1046 turn-offs, near Billingham, as officers worked to deal with the incident and clear the area.

Lane three was reopened at around 8.20am and the area was cleared.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: “The collision was damage only and a black Jaguar was blocking one lane on the road."

Morning rush hour traffic experienced delays of up to 40 minute on approach to the crash, spanning around seven miles back to the A179 for Hartlepool.

Highways England recorded average speeds on the approach to the A1046 on the A19 at just 5mph.

More follows.