A 92 year-old man is fighting for his life after a collision with a lorry delivering tarmac to roadwork in Abingdon.

The accident happened at around 9.30am today in Stert Street when the man was crossing the road near the entrance to the multi-storey car park.

He suffered serious injuries and unconfirmed reports said that one of his arms had been severed.

He is undergoing emergency treatment at the John Radclfife Hospital, Oxford.

Stert Street - a one-way street and a main road for through traffic - was closed for four hours as police accident scene investigators took road markings and photographs at the scene.

The driver of the lorry was interviewed by police.

The lorry was delivering tarmac to a new road surface being created in Broad Street outside the entrance to the multi-storey car park.

The works are the first phase of the new single-lane system for Stert Street as part of Abingdon's new transport scheme. Work was suspended to allow police to complete their investigations.

The closure of Stert Street caused traffic chaos in Abingdon. Traffic from the Oxford Road and the Vineyard coming in from the north was diverted along Stratton Way. Vehicles wanting to travel east over Abingdon Bridge were forced to take a long detour via Drayton and Sutton Courtenay to Culham.

Bus services were thrown into confusion and some passengers left stranded when services in the town centre area were suspended during the road closure.