A THREE car crash left a woman in hospital.

The crash on Canvey Road near Benfleet Station took place shortly before 1pm on Tuesday and closed the road for the afternoon.

Firefighters rescued a woman, thought to be in her 70s, from a silver Vauxhall Corsa.

A spokeswoman for Canvey Fire Station said: “We cut the roof off the woman’s vehicle after she became trapped.”

A silver Ford Fiesta and grey Fiat Punto were also involved.

It is believed the woman suffered spinal injuries and was taken to Basildon Hospital.

The accident caused traffic chaos as cars struggled to get on and off Canvey until 3pm.