The 39-year-old man is in police custody following the accident near Stockton on the Forest at 10.50pm on Monday when a heavy goods vehicle travelling towards Scarbor-ough hit a line of stationary vehicles.

The driver, believed to be in his late 20s, was taken to York District Hospital with serious injuries after his Volkswagen Lupo was pushed under the recovery truck.

Firefighters spent more than two hours trying to free him from the vehicle and the road was closed for around nine hours before being re-opened at about 8am yesterday.

A Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said the accident happened at temporary traffic lights near the Highwayman Cafe after the Lupo, which was queuing behind two cars and the recovery vehicle, was believed to have been struck by a German heavy goods vehicle.

A crane had to be used to lift the recovery vehicle off the Lupo and firefighters removed the car’s roof to get the driver out. Police closed the A64 following the crash to remove wreckage and carry out an investigation.