A MAN has escaped a serious crash on the A66 with only minor injuries.

Three cars were involved in the incident near the entrance to the Teesside Park retail outlet heading in the westbound direction at around 5.35pm on Monday night.

Police, ambulance and fire crews were called to the scene and one driver was seen to receive medical assistance from paramedics at the roadside.

The westbound carriageway, heading from Middlesbrough to Darlington, was closed from the A19 northbound slip road to the A1130/A1405 in Stockton.

The stretch of road was shut for several hours and caused severe delays while emergency services worked to remove the wreckages of three cars.

A 45-year-old man driving a blue Renault Modus Dynamique was taken to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, following the incident, but was discharged the same night.

Two other drivers were involved in the crash – one man driving a purple Skoda Superb estate and one woman driving a blue Volkswagen Beetle.

The scene was cleared of debris by 8.50pm, however a stretch of the A66 remained closed overnight to allow for scheduled roadworks.