A HORSE has died and three people have been injured after an early morning collision between an animal wagon and a caravan on a major North East A-road.

Emergency services were called to the A66 near North Stainmore, Cumbria, at around 8.15am on Monday (June 6) – after reports of a road traffic collision involving a bow top being pulled by two horses and a wagon.

To deal with the casualties, Cumbria Police closed the stretch of road for several hours – causing three-mile congestion tailbacks for motorists. The road reopened at around 10.30am, but further queues were caused by other horses and wagons travelling to Appleby Fair.

Read more: LIVE updates: A66 westbound near Brough closed after horse and caravan crash

A spokesperson for Cumbria Police said: “Police were contacted at around 8:15am today to the report of a road traffic collision involving a bow top being pulled by two horses and a wagon on A66 near North Stainmore.

“Three passengers in the bow top suffered minor injuries. One of the horses died as a result of the collision.

“The driver of the wagon was uninjured.”

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