PEABODY – A three-car accident on Route 128 northbound Wednesday left several people injured and traffic snarled for miles during the morning commute.According to State Police, the crash happened at approximately 6:44 a.m., near Exit 26 (Lowell Street). Preliminary investigations indicate that the vehicles had been involved in a series of rear-end crashes.A 56-year-old Haverhill man operating a 2005 Chevrolet Aveo hatchback suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Salem Hospital and then flown by helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital.The second vehicle involved, a 1996 Cherokee, was operated by a 52-year-old Peabody man who was taken to Salem Hospital with serious injuries. Rita Tavares, 42, of Chelsea, the driver of the third car involved, a 2002 Chevrolet Venture, was not injured. The names of the injured victims were not released as of press time.Following that accident, State Police responded to another, less serious crash between two vehicles on the southbound side of Route 128 at the same location. No injuries were reported in that incident.The investigation remains ongoing by the State Police, with the assistance of the State Police Collision Analysis Reconstruction Section and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, along with the Peabody Fire Department and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Highway Division.