STORM Imogen created havoc for motorists travelling on the A3 when overhead power lines crashed onto both carriageways near the Liphook and Bramshott exit slip roads last Sunday, causing a multi-car collision.

A BMW, Skoda Fabian, Skoda Octavia, Seat Altea and a Volkswagen Van were involved in the crash, but miraculously nobody was hurt, despite one of the five vehicles rolling onto its roof.

A spokesman for energy supplier SSE said: “At around 7pm on Sunday evening, a vehicle travelling on the south side of the A3 hit one of our poles, bringing down overhead wires which were blown across both carriageways. This also caused a small power cut, affecting five customers in the area. Power was restored around 11pm.”

Officers from Hampshire Constabulary and Highways England closed the road in both directions between the A325 and the A333 just north of Liphook for almost three hours while emergency services and SSE engineers cleared the cables.

The Hindhead Tunnel was also shut to prevent traffic backing up. But some motorists stuck in the long tailback queues turned around and drove the wrong way up the A3.

Police were then forced to turn them around, which delayed the reopening of the tunnel further.

South Central Ambulance Service attended the accident with a rapid response vehicle and one ambulance, treating six patients at the scene who had all sustained minor injuries.

Herald reporter Gabrielle Pike was caught in the tailback just moments after the accident happened on the southbound carriageway of the A3.

She said: “Driving conditions were appalling with torrential rain coming down, aquaplaning on the road and winds lashing across the road."

Diversions for traffic from both the southbound and northbound carriageways of the A3 were put in place 90 minutes later around 8.30pm, taking motorists through the centre of Liphook.

The A3 remained closed and re-opened at 9.56pm.