A WOMAN has died and two men are fighting for their lives after a horror crash in Essex today.

They were among five people in a Toyota RAV4 that slammed into a stationary lorry on the northbound A12 near Witham, around 10am.

The 38-year-old woman was a rear-seat passenger in the sports utility vehicle (SUV), which was trapped under the lorry.

One man, the driver of the SUV, was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital with ‘multiple traumatic injuries’. Another man, also believed to be in his 30s, who sustained a serious head injury, was flown to Queen’s Hospital, Romford. Another two passengers - a man and a woman - were taken to Colchester General Hospital with less serious injuries. The lorry driver was uninjured.

The northbound carriageway was closed off for hours while traffic officers completed their investigations. The London-bound section of the A12 was shut to allow two air ambulances to land.

Pete Bumphrey, duty operations manager for the East of England Ambulance Service, said: “Our thoughts are with those affected by this terrible incident along with their families and loved ones.

“Bearing in mind the nature of the incident all the emergency services worked extremely well together, our praise goes out to them.”

Officers are appealing for any witnesses to call Stanway Road Policing Unit on 0300 333 4444.