A YORK man was among three motorway maintenance workers who were seriously injured in what police described as a "one-in-a-million accident".

David Wilkinson, 42, of Haxby Road, suffered chest, shoulder and leg injuries when an Alfa Romeo, which went out of control when a tyre blew out, crashed into him and his workmates.

A spokeswoman at Rotherham General Hospital, where Mr Wilkinson is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit, described his condition today as "very poorly, but stable".

South Yorkshire Police said the freak accident happened near junction 33 of the M1, south of Rotherham. The Alfa Romeo was involved in collision with two other vehicles before hitting the men, who were standing near their own vehicle parked on the hard shoulder.

The injured men were among a group of five Tarmac employees who were thinning out trees on the motorway embankment on behalf of the Highways Agency.

Andrew Smith, 34, from Wakefield, who suffered multiple fractures, and Lyden Davenport, 37, from Huddersfield, who sustained leg fractures, were both said to be in a "satisfactory" condition today.

A spokesman at Tarmac's office at Aston, near Rotherham, said: "We were told about the accident over our two-way radio. There is an investigation, but nothing has been concluded yet.

He said the tree-thinning work had been suspended. "The other two men were obviously upset and are not working today."

Alan Catto, from Leeds, the driver of the Alfa Romeo, suffered whiplash injuries.

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