Communities have been left “devastated” by crashes which left three dead in Frostenden and Snape yesterday.

East Anglian Daily Times: Emergency services at the scene after a van crashed into The Crown Inn in Snape.Emergency services at the scene after a van crashed into The Crown Inn in Snape. (Image: Archant)

In the early hours, two people were found dead in the burnt wreckage of a car in Primrose Lane, Frostenden.

Just 13 hours later a man was killed when the van he was driving struck The Crown Inn, in Bridge Street, Snape.

Police were called to the scene at around 2.20pm, and road closures remained in place at the crossroads of Bridge Road, Church Road, Priory Road and Gromford Lane well into the night while collision investigations were carried out.

The two accidents take the total number of fatalities on Suffolk’s roads in 2015 to 30 – the same number as were killed in the county in the whole of 2014.

TJ Haworth-Culf, Suffolk Coastal district councillor for the Aldeburgh ward, which covers Snape, said yesterday evening: “We are absolutely devastated by what’s happened. It’s really tragic and we are thinking of the family and friends of those involved. It’s just awful.

“It’s the second one near the pub in recent times, and it’s hit the community. It’s very sad to hear.”

Andrew Reid, Suffolk county councillor for the Wilford ward, which covers Snape, added: “It’s very sad for the families and friends of the victims.

“What is most important is that these incidents are fully investigated as quickly as possible so that we can establish the causes, to see what needs to be done, if there’s anything that can be done to improve road safety as a result of these incidents.”

Staff at The Crown last night declined to comment but Inga Haselmann, landlady at The Golden Key Inn, also in Snape, said: “It’s very sad. It’s not the first time an accident has happened in that spot.

“We need to think about how to stop it in future.

“It’s a very close knit village and community. No-one likes an accident and someone losing their life.”

Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Passmore, said last night: “It’s with great sadness that we learn of three further deaths on the county’s roads. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of those who died.

“At this point we don’t know the cause of these accidents but it’s a timely reminder for me to implore all road users to take great care and allow extra time for their journeys, especially when weather conditions worsen and as the nights get longer.”

Five people have now been killed in road accidents in Suffolk since late October.

On October 29, 34-year-old moped rider Tony Carter, from Carlton Colville, died following an accident involving two cars in Tom Crisp Way, Lowestoft.

On November 6, pedestrian Barbara Smith, 75, died after being hit by a van in Newgate, Beccles.

Any witnesses to the Snape accident should call the serious collision investigation team on 101, quoting reference CAD 206 at November 12, and the Frostenden accident quoting CAD 10.