THREE people were taken to hospital after being injured in a crash on the A1 on Saturday morning.

An appeal for witnesses to the crash on the northbound carriageway of the motorway was issued by North Yorkshire Police.

The accident happened at about 7.10am between the junctions at Boroughbridge and Dishforth when a dark green Mini Cooper left the road and came to rest on its side.

The three occupants of the Mini all sustained serious injuries in the collision.

The driver, a 21-year-old man, and a 20-year-old woman passenger were both taken to Leeds General Infirmary by road ambulance.

A second passenger, a 24-year-old man, was airlifted to James Cook hospital in Middlesbrough.

Police are appealing to anyone who saw a dark green Mini travelling north along the A1 before the collision and to anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Traffic Constable Rob Roberts at Harrogate Roads Policing Group or email rob.roberts@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

The northbound carriageway was closed to allow emergency services to attend to the casualties and to allow collision investigators to examine the scene.

It reopened again at about 11.15am. At one point both carriageways were closed to allow the air ambulance to land.

Officers have thanked members of the public who stopped at the scene to provide assistance.