SNOW, slush and ice caused chaos on the A3 after a rush-hour accident forced its closure around the Devil's Punch Bowl for almost three hours.

A driver was taken to hospital last Friday with life- threatening injuries after his car left the road and collided with a tree.

The accident happened at around 7-30 am on the southbound carriageway of the A3 just before the Hindhead bends.

The silver/grey Peugeot 407 was on the single carriageway section approaching the bends when it left the road and struck the tree.

No other vehicle was involved in the collision. Surrey Police closed the A3 in both directions from the Hindhead crossroads to the A3's junction with Thursley.

Fire crews from Haslemere, Godalming and Guildford were called to the scene to free the trapped driver who was alone in the car.

Firefighters from Haslemere told The Herald that it took around 45 minutes to free the man using specialist cutting equipment.

This allowed ambulance crews to give him medical attention.

The driver, a 45 year-old-man from the Woking area, was taken to the Royal Surrey County Hospital with what were described as life-threatening injuries.

However once he arrived at the Guildford hospital and received treatment, his injuries were instead described as "serious".

The road closures caused traffic chaos with drivers using the A3 forced to find alternative routes and use diversions, shifting the traffic jams on to other A roads and minor roads.

However, officers reopened the A3 at around 10-15 am once the car and debris had been cleared. The accident came as warnings to motorists to take care on the roads in the poor weather were being issued.

Drivers woke up last Friday morning to find it had snowed overnight more heavily than earlier in the week. However, drizzle was converting it into slush and ice.

Police had warned the smaller number of drivers going to work last week that road conditions were "hazardous" with snow and slush lying on the ground.

The AA also issued a warning about the A286 between Haslemere and Brook with ice in both directions a hazard to motorists.

Anyone who was on the A3 and witnessed the collision is asked to contact the investigating officer, Sgt Gerry McGeehan, on 0845 125 2222.

Friday's accident was the second time in 48 hours that the A3 had been closed at Hindhead during rush hour.

Drivers who struggled back to work last Wednesday after the Christmas holiday were faced with road chaos when they found the A3 closed near to the Hindhead traffic lights after a major water main burst.

A spokesman for South East Water told The Herald that a nine-inch water main had burst on the outskirts of Hindhead close to the busy A3 the previous evening.

Urgent repairs were needed and the decision was taken to close the road to allow work to be carried out.

"We were advised by the Highways Agency that it would be unsafe to attempt repairs to the water main because it was so close to the busy road," the spokesman explained.

"The Highways Agency took the decision to close the road while they were carried out."

Road users, including last Wednesday's early morning rush-hour traffic, had to be diverted left off the A3 and were sent through Thursley throughout the Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

The spokesman said the road was reopened after work was completed around midday last Wednesday.