The A31 has reopened westbound after a four car crash near Ringwood.

The accident happened on Poulner Hill underneath the Winston Way flyover. There were two fire engines, one ambulance and three police cars at the scene.

Fire crews cut the roof off one vehicle and one casualty, thought to be a passenger, was transferred to ambulance by stretcher.

Ten people in total were involved in the collision, according to a spokesperson for Hampshire Police.

There are eight-mile tailbacks on the westbound carriageway stretching back towards the M27.

Many people were out of their cars and walking along the carriageway during the road closure. Motorists are advised to avoid the area.

One lane was temporarily reopened earlier but all lanes were now closed again to allow fire crews access to the vehicles, a green Citroen Saxo, a silver Kia Sportage and a black Vauxhall Safira and a Toyota Prius. 

The inside lane has now been opened to traffic but queues are expected to take some time to clear. Drivers are being advised not to divert to Lyndhurst as there is already a 30 minute delay between Cadnam and the A35.

 

#A31 #RINGWOOD - Westbound carriageway CLOSED at Poulner jct (approaching A338), serious accident. Currently 4mile/45min+ delay. AVOID.

— ROMANSE (@ROMANSE) August 20, 2013

One resident, who didn’t want to be named, said: “There are too many accidents on this road.

“The council ought to do something. We have seen a lot of accidents here before. There was one only last week.”

A woman from Ringwood said: “It’s awful.

“We heard a lot of sirens.”

She said the speed limit must be lowered from 70 miles per hour to 50.

Ringwood Town Council have been fighting for a reduction in the speed limit on the A31.

But last week their hopes were crushed when Roads Minister Stephen Hammond rejected their calls to cut the 70mph limit - just weeks after saying he was "minded" to order a reduction.

A similar crash took place on the opposite carriageway last Tuesday afternoon. 

Jacqueline Mullings, 70, of Ringwood, said she heard sirens at around 11.30am.

“My very first thought was ‘Oh no, not again’,” she said.

“We have campaigned to get the speed down to 50 miles per hour. They have ignored us.

"Every day from about 3pm to 6pm there is a build-up of traffic but they’re travelling slowly. The rest of the time, it’s a bit of a rat race.”

She said the failure to bring down the speed limit was “ridiculous”.

“There are always accidents here,” she said.