By Ted JeoryAN investigation has been launched after a motorist was killed while being followed by a police patrol car. Robert Warner died instantly when his black Volkswagen Golf left the road, overturned and careered into trees during the early hours of Saturday.

By Ted Jeory

AN investigation has been launched after a motorist was killed while being followed by a police patrol car.

Robert Warner died instantly when his black Volkswagen Golf left the road, overturned and careered into trees during the early hours of Saturday.

The fatal crash happened shortly after a police car travelling in the opposite direction had spotted his vehicle and turned round to follow it.

Mr Warner, 20, of Butt's Green Road, Sandon, near Chelmsford, was driving along the A414 through Maldon at about 1am on Saturday when he was spotted by two police officers travelling the other way in their patrol car.

An Essex Police spokesman said the officers had decided to turn their car around so they could follow Mr Warner and conduct a routine stop to check the vehicle.

He added Mr Warner has then driven away at high speed as the officers had followed him, but a short time later they had discovered the Volkswagen Golf overturned at a bend in Captain's Wood Road, Great Totham.

It had left the road and crashed into trees. Firefighters from Maldon and Colchester were called to free Mr Warner, but he was declared dead at the scene.

"An investigation has been launched to look into the circumstances around the incident. The thoughts of the officers involved are with Mr Warner's family at this difficult time," said the police spokesman.

Mr Warner was one of three people to be killed in accidents on the region's roads over the weekend.

A cyclist died after he was involved in a collision with three cars on the A134 near Nayland at about 11.50am on Saturday.

A passing doctor was the first on the scene and tried to treat the cyclist, but the man - who has not been named - later died in hospital.

The Essex Ambulance service sent an ambulance and rapid response vehicle to the scene and a spokesman said: "When they arrived, they found a doctor who had been passing administering aid.

"The man was rushed to Colchester General Hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival there."

A teenager also died yesterday after suffering head injuries when the car in which he was a passenger went out of control on the A14 near Bury St Edmunds, careered up an embankment and overturned.

Fire crews and paramedics worked desperately to free the boy and the adult male driver from the wreckage of their Ford Sierra car following the accident, which happened just after 4.30pm on Saturday.

They were both taken to the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, but the teenager was later transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where he died yesterday.

n Anyone with information about the crash that killed Robert Warner should contact Chelmsford traffic police on 01245 452918.

ted.jeory@eadt.co.uk