Two women have been taken to hospital following a two-vehicle crash which temporarily closed the A414 Ongar Road.
A Toyota Yaris and Toyota Prius were involved in a collision on the Chelmsford-bound lane outside the Fox and Goose Bake House, near Cooksmill Green, at about 3pm.
Firefighters were called to one of the women, believed to have suffered a head injury, who was trapped in the vehicle.
They freed her using cutting equipment by 4.03pm.
The ambulance service sent three ambulances, one rapid response vehicle and an ambulance officer to treat both women.
They were taken to Broomfield Hospital.
The road was closed but reopened to traffic by about 4.30pm.
"There has been a huge traffic jam and firefighters were here so I presumed someone was cut out of the car - I know it was pretty serious," said Fox and Goose Bake House waitress Chloe Gowers, speaking to the Chronicle.
"It was a really serious accident.
"I don't know if there were any fatalities but I would not be surprised because firefighters have had to cut someone out and the A414 is such a dangerous road anyway."
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said both women were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
