ONE man died and countless others - including a policewoman - were hurt as black ice on Saturday morning wreaked havoc on the region's roads.

The Torquay man was pronounced dead at the scene after his car skidded on ice; demolished a telephone box, and ploughed into a field beside the A38 at Wrangaton, near South Brent, at 6.50am.

It is believed that the man braked in his Ford Fiesta car after seeing a Peugeot 205, which had also skidded on ice, overturn.

The female driver of the Peugeot 205 was unhurt. Following the second crash, a car belonging to a police officer guarding the scene was hit by another car - which was then hit by another vehicle.

In Exeter, WPC Nicky Kent, 22, suffered head, leg and possible internal injuries after a car skidded into her as she finished putting up signs directing traffic at around 8.40am.

WPC Kent, who was thrown over the crash barrier, underwent surgery for a broken ankle at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

The WPC, who is based at Heavitree Road Police Station and has been in the force for three years, was in the area after a crash on the A30, one mile west of the Ide inter-change.

Immediately after she was injured, there was a four-car crash in the same area, near Alphington in Exeter.

Sgt Alan Mobbs, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: 'It was mayhem.

'The road surface was so slippery that there were people slipping off left, right and centre.'

There were more than 50 road accidents between midnight and 1.30pm yesterday in Devon and Cornwall, and more than 25 in Avon and Somerset.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said: 'We have had numerous minor accidents all over the county.

'I think a lot of it has been down to people not being aware of the road conditions.

'The ice has been very patchy and has caused particular problems in sheltered areas.'

In the early hours of the morning two ambulances travelling in convoy skidded on black ice and collided with each other on Newbridge, Gunnislake, and one car crashed across the central reservation and two others were involved in a shunt at around 7.15am on the A38 at Liskeard.

The driver of a Royal Mail articulated lorry was left shaken after his vehicle skidded on ice at around 7.15am on the A38 at Notter Bridge near Saltash, as was the driver of an empty Citybus coach which slid into an embankment in Alexandra Road, Mutley, Plymouth.

Accidents were also reported in South East Cornwall, Plymouth, Axminster, Tiverton, Sidmouth, Brixham and Crediton.

Sgt Mobbs said: 'People got up and thought, "What a nice, bright, sunny day, all the ice will be gone by now", but it hadn't.'

Six people were also injured after a crash on the A361 at Heanton Court, near Chivenor, after a 20-year-old lost control of his Peugeot 205 car following a hail storm and ploughed into a MG Maestro car, carrying four people at 9.15pm on Friday.

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