A MOTORCYCLIST is recovering in hospital after he was seriously injured in a three vehicle crash in Newton Poppleford at the weekend. The man, not thought to be from the area, was rushed to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital by Devon Air Ambulance with serio

A MOTORCYCLIST is recovering in hospital after he was seriously injured in a three vehicle crash in Newton Poppleford at the weekend.

The man, not thought to be from the area, was rushed to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital by Devon Air Ambulance with serious but not life threatening injuries.

The collision which involved a Suzuki motorbike, a silver Vauxhall Astra and a black Vauxhall Astra happened on the A3052 at Four Elms Hill just before 4pm on Saturday.

One of the first police officers on the scene, PC Simon Tennant, said after the collision with the black car, the motorcyclist fell off the bike as it skidded on to the other side of the road.

The driver of the silver car, who was travelling in the other direction, swerved into the bank causing their car to overturn.

The male driver and female passenger of the silver car suffered cuts and bruises and were given medical attention by paramedics at the scene. It is believed the female driver of the black car was uninjured.

A police spokesman said yesterday (Thursday) the motorcyclist had suffered broken bones as a result of the impact and was recovering in hospital.

A South West Ambulance spokesman said: "We got a report at 3.42pm of a single car that had rolled.

"We sent both Devon Air Ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and land crew to the scene."

Two fire crews from Sidmouth also attended.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue spokesman said they received a report of people trapped but on arrival found everyone to be free from the wreckage.

Police cordoned off the road from the Bowd in Sidmouth to the Harpford junction in Newton Poppleford.

Tailbacks were caused as traffic was diverted around the village through Otterton and Tipton St John.

The road was completely cleared and reopened just after 6pm.

But only ten minutes later there was another crash involving two vehicles at the same place.

No one was injured in this incident and a police spokesman said the area was not considered an accident blackspot.