On the skids in the USA

Ice and rain - a combination that's guaranteed to cause some grief on the roads wherever you are.

And for one town in America, it proved disastrous as more than 50 cars were pranged in possibly one of the longest crashes ever to be recorded.

Just outside Shelton lies Route 110 which run downhill into the Connecticut town. On Sunday, black ice appeared on the notoriously smooth surface and drivers and their vehicles suddenly found themselves helpless as they skidded and careered down the road.

As one witness noted, this wasn't a quick, dramatic accident but a long, drawn out crash as vehicles smashed into each over over a couple of minutes or so.

Happily, no one was killed although dozens of people were injured while the tow trucks of Shelton enjoyed one of their busiest days as they turned the town into a giant scrapyard.