A MAN died after he sustained "massive multiple injuries" when his car ploughed into a road bridge on the A12.The middle-aged man, who has not been named, was driving towards Ipswich when his Peugeot 206 careered into the A12 crash barrier and smashed into a bridge upright near Kelvedon shortly after 4.

A MAN died after he sustained "massive multiple injuries" when his car ploughed into a road bridge on the A12.

The middle-aged man, who has not been named, was driving towards Ipswich when his Peugeot 206 careered into the A12 crash barrier and smashed into a bridge upright near Kelvedon shortly after 4.30pm yesterday.

The accident resulted in long tailbacks on the Ipswich-bound stretch of the road.

The Essex Air Ambulance, which was flying overhead at the time of the crash, landed in a field next to the road within minutes.

A paramedic leapt over a fence to tend him, but by the time he got to the man, who was the only person in the car, he was already dead.

A spokesman for Essex Ambulance Service said last night: "The man had sustained massive multiple injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene."

No other vehicle was involved, police said.

The crash happened where a farm access road to Threshelfords Business Park crosses the A12 near the B1023 Kelvedon junction.

Last night, engineers from the Highways Agency were inspecting to see if there was any structural damage to the bridge.

There were also lengthy delays in the area after police closed the Ipswich-bound carriageway for several hours to investigate the crash.

Diversions were put in place through Kelvedon, but motorists also caused chaos in Tiptree as they looked for alternative routes.

An Essex Police spokesman said last night: "The silver Peugeot 206 is believed to have struck both the bridge support and the central barrier.

"A middle-aged man was declared dead at the scene. There have been substantial tailbacks in the area."

Anyone with any information about the crash is asked to call Stanway road policing unit on 01206 762512.