TWO men were taken to hospital after a car collided with the central reservation on the A19 and flipped over.

Emergency services were called after the accident on the southbound dual carriageway between the A690 and the B1404, near Seaham, at around 8.45pm on Wednesday night.

Three men were in the Nissan Almera at the time, two of which left the scene of the collision before being located close by shortly after.

A 32-year-old man was subsequently taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital before being transferred to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

A 20-year-old man was also taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital but his injuries are not believed to be serious.

A third man, aged 24, was not believed to be injured.

A North East Ambulance Service spokesman said: “There was one patient with head injuries and we pre-alerted Sunderland Royal before taking him there by ambulance. Another man was later taken to hospital with hand injuries by police.”

The road was closed and reopened at around 2am.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Durham Constabulary on 101.