TRIBUTES were paid to a lorry driver last night after a day of tragedy on Essex roads left two men dead.Steven Drewett, 39, died at the scene of an horrific crash on the A133 on the border of Colchester and Elmstead Market shortly after 7am yesterday.

TRIBUTES were paid to a lorry driver last night after a day of tragedy on Essex roads left two men dead.

Steven Drewett, 39, died at the scene of an horrific crash on the A133 on the border of Colchester and Elmstead Market shortly after 7am yesterday.

A second man was also killed in a separate accident when his Ford Escort was in collision with a Mercedes in Mundon Road, Maldon, at 12.30pm.

In the first crash, Mr Drewett's Vauxhall Astra hit the grass central reservation and became airborne before landing on the opposite carriageway and colliding with a Vauxhall Vectra travelling towards Colchester.

The 26-year-old woman driving the Vectra, who lives in Dovercourt, was treated at Colchester General Hospital for whiplash and cut legs.

Last night Gary Shean , managing director of Express International UK Ltd ETS at Harwich, said Mr Drewett, of Ranger Walk, Colchester, had worked for the company for two years.

He said colleagues were devastated to be informed of his death.

He said Mr Drewett, who delivered pallets around the county, was a "funny man with a good, dry sense of humour."

"He worked hard and knew his way about. He was a very good driver," said Mr Shean.

"We are gutted. He was a good team player and will be very hard to replace."

In the second accident a man died when his Ford Escort was in a collision with a Mercedes in Mundon Road, Maldon, at 12.30pm yesterday. He was thrown from his vehicle and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Four women in the Mercedes were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Two other vehicles were also involved in the accident.

Mr Drewett's accident was the third fatality on that part of the A133 in the last 15 months.

In March Peter Nice, 46, of Fiddler's Folly, Fordham, died when his bicycle collided with a BMW on the same stretch of road.

In September last year, Steven Hunt, of Magdalen Green, Colchester, died when his motorcycle collided with a car on the A133 near the Park Farm business centre junction.

A spokeswoman for Essex County Council said: "We are aware of today's accident and when we know of the circumstances we will investigate it fully.

"We don't get the full details until later when the police send us a report. If there is a problem and something needs doing obviously we will do it."