Canterbury was brought to a standstill yesterday as four people were rushed to hospital after serious crashes in the city.

Roads were gridlocked after a boy was hit by a car in Pin Hill and three men were injured in a two-car smash in New Dover Road.

One of the men was airlifted to London after his Vauxhall Zafira crashed with a Citroen Picasso near the Park and Ride at 2.15pm.

The 55-year-old was rushed to Kings College Hospital and later found to have broken his sternum.

Two men in the Citroen, aged 54 and 27, had to be cut from the car by firefighters. They were taken to Ashford’s William Harvey Hospital for treatment.

New Dover Road was closed in both directions for almost five hours and the slip-road off the A2 was shut off while the scene was cleared.

As the rescue effort unfolded, another air ambulance had to be scrambled from Sussex after a 16-year-old boy was hit by a car in Pin Hill at 3.20pm.

The teen suffered head injuries after he was hit by a Green Rover outside the Peugeot garage.

The road was closed in both directions for almost 90 minutes so the air ambulance could land.

The boy was eventually taken to the William Harvey Hospital by road with injuries described as “not life-threatening”.

The accidents caused rush-hour chaos in the city, with reports of some people abandoning their cars.

Firefighter Mark Jones said: “It was complete chaos. I was in Nunnery Fields and it took me half-an-hour to get to the fire station - it’s a three-minute walk.

“I must have watched the traffic lights change 40 times.”

Did you get caught up in the chaos? Leave a comment below.