By Benedict O'ConnorTWO motorists have been killed in two horrific accidents that closed two of the region's major roads.One person was killed yesterday morning when three lorries and two cars were involved in a collision on the A14.

By Benedict O'Connor

TWO motorists have been killed in two horrific accidents that closed two of the region's major roads.

One person was killed yesterday morning when three lorries and two cars were involved in a collision on the A14.

The road was closed for more than 12 hours as emergency services cleared the crash scene - disrupting the travel plans of hundreds of Ipswich Town fans heading for Stoke for last night's game.

A lorry driver also died yesterday afternoon when his vehicle was involved in a collision with another truck on the A11 near Thetford.

The first of yesterday's accidents happened at about 7.30pm when the three lorries and two cars were involved in a collision on the A14 at Girton, near Cambridge.

The collision caused one of the vehicles to burst into flames and left one lorry straddling both carriageways and another on its side.

One person died and two people had to be cut from their vehicles and were taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, with serious injuries.

Several other vehicles were involved in minor collisions in the wake of the crash and paramedics treated a number of people for minor injuries and shock at the scene.

The road was closed from the accident site to as far East as Newmarket, with traffic diverted towards the M11, causing huge tailbacks.

It is not known which vehicle the dead motorist had been driving and Cambridgeshire Police said they would not be releasing any further details until next of kin had been informed.

The accident affected the travel plans of an estimated 1,000 Ipswich Town fans on their way to last night's match against Stoke City.

Ipswich Town advised Blues fans to set off as early as possible to make the Britannia Stadium in time for the 7.45pm kick-off.

East Anglian Daily Times assistant sports editor, Steve Mellen, said the journey had taken him an extra two hours after taking a detour via Royston and the A1 to avoid the crash scene.

The second of yesterday's accidents happened at about 1.20pm on the A11, close to the A134 roundabout in Thetford.

Inspector Stuart Offord, of Norfolk Police, said it appeared a lorry had been queuing on the approach to the roundabout when it had been involved in a collision with a second lorry and had been pushed about 40ft along the carriageway.

The cab of the second lorry was crushed in the impact and the driver, whose identity has not yet been released, died at the scene.

His body was freed from the wreckage by firefighters, but the driver of the first lorry suffered only minor injuries, for which he was treated at the scene.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were immediately called to the scene, along with the East Anglian air ambulance, and the A11 was closed between the accident scene and the A1075 while the wreckage was cleared from the carriageway.

Anyone with information about the A14 accident should Cambridgeshire Police on 01480 456111 and anyone with information about the A11 crash should contact Norfolk Police on 01953 424242.

benedict.o'connor@eadt.co.uk