One person died and another was taken to hospital after this pile-up on the A24 today.

The road had to be closed for more than three hours in the aftermath of the crash between a VW Golf and a Mercedes at 7.15 am.

The driver of the Golf died at the scene just north of the Washington roundabout.

A second person was trapped in wreckage for more than an hour before being cut free by firefighters and taken to Worthing Hospital.

Firefighters from Worthing, Storrington and Findon, a heavy rescue tender and several ambulance crews were called to the crash, on the northbound side of the 70mph dual carriageway.

Both carriageways of the busy commuter route were sealed off by police between the traffic lights at Buck Barn and the village of Washington causing rush hour chaos.

Motorists were diverted on to the A272 or left to find their own way around the blockage. Many chose to pick a route through Partridge Green.

Queues backed up for five miles to Findon.

A police spokesman said traffic congestion in the area was "very bad."

A police crash investigation team was dispatched to the scene to try to establish the cause of the collision.