Three people have been killed and another seriously injured in a crash between a car and a lorry on the B1404 between Houghton-le-Spring and Seaham, Durham Police said today.
The accident happened near Sharpley Golf Club on the B1404 between Houghton-le-Spring and Seaham, County Durham, at around 12.20pm, Durham Police said.
The three people who died were in the car.
A fourth passenger was flown by air ambulance to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, with what were described as life-threatening injuries.
The lorry driver was taken to hospital in Sunderland suffering from minor injuries, a Durham Police spokesman said.
The force of the crash sent the lorry through a fence and on to the golf course, he added.
"The road has been closed to traffic and is expected to be so for several hours," he added.