MOTORISTS faced hours of traffic chaos after two serious accidents on the city's busy D-road.

The A500 was closed in both directions following an accident yesterday morning involving a HGV.

It is believed the HGV overturned at around 11.45am on the southbound carriageway, close to the junction with the A34.

The driver of the HGV was taken to hospital, while firefighters worked to contain a large diesel spillage, to ensure it didn't get into the water supply.

Specialist contractors were then called out by the Highways Agency to clear up the diesel.

Diversions were put into place while the lorry was recovered and road damage repaired.

Highways officials reopened the northbound carriageway at around 1pm but were still working to clear diesel from the southbound side of the road when two cars travelling northbound collided at the same location as the previous accident, at about 4.30pm.

Highways officials then closed the northbound carriageway for the second time while they dealt with the incident.

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "A lorry overturned at 11.45am, spilling diesel on to the carriageway and causing damage to the central reservation.

"The road was closed while the damage was repaired and the diesel was cleared up.

"The second accident involved two cars, a black Ford Fiesta and a silver Astra saloon. The Fiesta ended up on its roof across the central reservation.

"The male driver of the Astra suffered a cut to his back and a 12-year-old passenger suffered a possible broken arm. The driver of the Fiesta was walking wounded. All of them were taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire."

Kate Wood, aged 28, from Sandbach, was travelling to see a friend when she got stuck in the traffic.

She said: "There's always an accident on the A500, but two in the same spot on the same day is a bit strange. I think it added at least half an hour to my journey. I'm fed up of sitting in traffic."

A Staffordshire Fire Service spokesman said: "Two fire crews and the rescue tender were sent out to both accidents.

"Firefighters contained a diesel spillage after the accident involving the HGV, using shovels to cover the diesel with earth to prevent it getting into the water source."

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: "The road was closed in both directions for about an hour following the first accident. The northbound carriageway was reopened at 1pm.

"We closed the road at the request of the police. A substantial amount of diesel had spilled over both carriageways.

"At around 2.30pm, motorists faced delays of 40 minutes. But once we started to get the message out and the diversions put in place, that was reduced to 20 minutes approaching rush hour, just before the second accident happened."