A three-car accident on U.S. 52 tied up traffic on U.S. 52 Tuesday afternoon.

At approximately 3:30 p.m., Frank Murphy, 31, of Ironton was driving westbound on U.S. 52 in the passing lane in a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee when the car in front of him hit his brakes Trooper Lea Mikes of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said. Murphy then hit his brakes, and the driver behind him, Cheryl Adams, 43, of Wheelersburg did not have time to stop. Adams, driving a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, struck Murphy's vehicle in the rear, sending it into the other lane.

The driver behind Adams, Amy Jones, 23, of Ironton, did not have time to stop, either, and she swerved into the other lane to avoid striking Adams's car, Mikes said. Her 1989 Honda Accord struck Murphy's vehicle.

The drivers had no visible injuries, and none were transported, Mikes said. Adams and Jones were cited for failure to stop within an assured clear distance.