FIVE people were ‘lucky to be alive’ after surviving a three-car pile up near Dorchester.

A father and his two daughters were among the casualties in the high-speed crash on the A35 outside The Friary Press, close to the Monkeys Jump roundabout.

Two men were also seriously injured, one of whom was airlifted to Poole General Hospital with serious face and arm injuries.

Police said the incident happened at around 2.30pm on Saturday when the silver Chrysler Neon car, travelling east collided with a red Ford Puma car then went head-on into a silver Peugeot 306 car.

The father and another man were taken by land ambulance to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester – one with head injuries, the other with serious leg injuries.

Firefighters worked to free the girls who were trapped in the back of the Peugeot.

They suffered minor cuts and bruising and were treated for shock at DCH before being discharged yesterday. Firefighters also used hydraulic cutting equipment to rescue two men from the Chrysler and the girls’ father from the Peugeot.

The Peugeot was registered to a Devon driver and the two other cars were registered to Dorset keepers.

The road was closed for around three hours and diversions were put in place.

Tracy Bartram, spokesman for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, said: “This was a big incident and it’s lucky that people were able to get to hospital so quick.

“This would particularly make a massive difference for the man with the head injury who was airlifted to Poole.

“Even a difference of 30 seconds can potentially save someone’s life.”

Adam Collinge, lead paramedic for South Western Ambulance Service, said: “This was a high-speed road traffic collision.

“Two men suffered serious or possible life-threatening injuries, another man and two children suffered non-life threatening injuries.

“One was unconscious at the scene.”

A rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer, four ambulances, the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, Devon and Cornwall Air Ambulance and Dorset Police helicopter attended along with police officers and Dorset Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Collinge added: “Two air ambulances attended but only one casualty was airlifted.

“A man was flown to Poole Hospital with face and arm injuries because of the specialist facilities there.

“All the casualties were taken to hospital by 4pm.”

A Dorset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said two crews from Dorchester attended the crash scene ‘within six minutes’ of the 2.30pm call out.

Once on the scene, crews requested assistance from hydraulic rescue cutting equipment, which was sent from Weymouth.

The spokesman added: “Crews were on the scene for some time assisting paramedics. Three helicopters also assisted and casualties were taken to hospital.”

A Dorchester resident at the scene, who did not wish to be named, described the area as a ‘common crash spot’.

She said: “It a straight stretch of road and you wouldn’t think anything would happen but it does.”

A driver described the road diversions as causing ‘chaos’.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision. Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Sarah Mackay of Dorchester Police’s traffic department on 01305 222222.