Motorists were caught driving the wrong way up slip roads and shouting at police officers following a collision on the A12 last night (June 19).

A vehicle crashed between junction 16 for Galleywood and junction 17 for Howe Green at around 7.30pm.

Emergency services, including police, fire crews and paramedics, all attended the scene.

The road was closed for over three hours, causing tailbacks of around two miles.

A man was rushed to hospital following the collision, and the road was reopened at around 11pm.

Braintree and Witham Times:

An officer who attended the scene of the collision has publicly thanked everyone for their patience and understanding, and has revealed why the road was closed for so long.

The officer, who was not named, reiterated how every second is crucial when it comes to emergency services getting to the scene of an incident.

They said: "If you ever have to move over on a dual carriageway to allow emergency vehicles through then please remember this, especially if you are at the front as if you move back towards the middle after we pass, it is likely those behind will follow suit.

"Whereas, if you remember this and stay to the side, hopefully those behind will do the same allowing maximum access for not only emergency vehicles including the much wider ambulances and fire appliances but also any large recovery trucks needed to clear the road in order to open it for you."

The officer went on to explain why the carriageway was closed for so long.

They said: "Many of you may have been held up for several hours and understandably be asking why we take so long to open the road, or why we can’t just sweep the debris/move the cars to allow just one lane to open.

"I can assure you the decisions involved in fully closing any key road are not taken lightly.

"A trained and qualified ‘Road Scene Manager’ will attend to oversee the incident, carefully balancing the needs of the investigation in order to provide answers."

The officer added: "For anyone reading this who drove the wrong way up the slip road to avoid the queues, we have a long list of registrations who WILL be receiving points and a fine in the post.

"Your actions could have caused additional crashes and/or hindered emergency vehicles getting to the scene, both of which would have caused further delays for everyone."