Cars were sent scattering when a woman went through a red traffic light and drove up the wrong side of a busy Hockley road.

Shocked oncoming drivers tried to U-turn to avoid the woman after she drove past traffic queuing at roadworks on Main Road.

After colliding with two cars she was eventually brought to a standstill by a lorry - smashing head-on into the driver's cab.

The woman, believed to be in her 50s, was cut free from the wreckage and taken to Southend Hospital with head and chest injuries.

The accident on Tuesday afternoon brought chaos to Main Road, which was closed for more than an hour.

Police said they did not know why the woman drove for nearly 300 yards in the face of oncoming traffic.

PC Michael Keogh, of Rayleigh traffic police, said: "For some reason she decided to overtake queuing traffic and then hit the rear of a vehicle who tried to avoid her.

"She then went a further 200 yards up the road and hit another car before travelling a further 50 yards and colliding with a medium-sized goods vehicle."

The driver was trapped for 15 minutes while firefighters from Leigh and Hawkwell cut the roof off her Ford Fiesta. The lorry driver was treated for shock.

Anyone who saw the accident should contact Rayleigh police on 01268 775533.

Wrecked - the woman's car came to a halt after colliding with a lorry

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