One woman is critical at the Royal Preston Hospital after a red Ford Transit van smashed into two vehicles and a fence before coming off the M55 eastbound motorway near junction three at Kirkham.

She was a front seat passenger in the van and ambulance crews said she was lucky not to have been impailed on the fence following the collision which happened at 3.05pm on Monday.

The woman and the driver had to be freed from the van by firefighters.

She was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital where she is described as having serious injuries to her chest and is in a critical condition, according to police.

At 3.34pm a second crash, involving four cars, happened at almost the same place on the westbound carriageway.

Eight people were taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital after a black Ford Focus, a white Toyota Celica - registered in Blackpool - a black Fiat Punto belonging to a motorist from Newton-le-Willows - and a gold Rover 620 from Huddersfield shunted into each other.

One was taken on a stretcher after complaining of a back injury while seven others received only minor injuries.

A fifth car was said to have been involved in the accident but suffered little damage.

In a third incident in the same area, firefighters had also been called to a car fire at around 2.50pm on the westbound carriageway at junction three.

The crashes caused two lanes of the M55 westbound and one eastbound lane to be closed while the debris was cleared and police investigators probed the scene.

The lanes were still closed at 5.30pm and the Highways Agency has warned those travelling in the area to find an alternative route.

>> Vote in our latest web poll

>> Have your say on our special traffic and travel rantline