TWO people have been killed in separate road accidents in Essex.A man died and two other people were seriously injured in a four-vehicle crash at about 5.

TWO people have been killed in separate road accidents in Essex.

A man died and two other people were seriously injured in a four-vehicle crash at about 5.00pm yesterdayon the Braintree by-pass near Rayne in an area where upgrading work for the A120 is being carried out.

The dead man was travelling in a blue Peugeot 406 towards Braintree, which was in collision with a van heading towards the M11.

The vehicles crashed as they were heading in opposite directions before the Peugeot then struck a Volkswagen Passat estate car and a Peugeot 106 car.

Emergency service personnel battled to cut the injured drivers from their vehicles and the road was closed off for several hours.

The driver of the Peugeot 406 from the Braintree area, was airlifted to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, but later died. Essex Air Ambulance took the female driver of the Peugeot 106 who suffered a broken collarbone to the hospital

The Vokswagen driver who suffered broken ribs was also airlifted to hospital. The van driver suffered shock but no other injuries.

The road was closed and commuters had to take alternative routes while the scene was cleared and investigations took place.

The crash happened on a section of the road which is being widened as part of upgrading of the A120 and is planned for completion next year. Cones currently divide one road into two lanes.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "Last night's crash was particularly nasty and has led to the tragic loss of a man's life which will have even worse consequences for his family.

"With the current road works on the A120, we can only urge motorists to travel at appropriate speeds and drive in a responsible manner."

Fire crews from Colchester, Braintree, and Dunmow attended the crash.

Anyone with information about the accident is asked to contact Bocking road policing unit on 01376 330722.

In a separate accident a motorcycle pillion passenger died when he was thrown off a Yahama in a collision with a black Vauxhall Corsa car and ended up underneath a parked lorry.

The 24-year-old man, from Kirby-le-Soken, near Walton-on-the-Naze died at the scene of the accident on the A133 Clacton bypass at about 9.30pm on Wednesday.

The motorbike rider, a 25-year-old man from Holland-on-Sea, was also thrown off the bike. He was taken to Colchester General Hospital with severe leg and arm injuries.

No-one in the Corsa, which was driven by a 35-year-old man from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire was injured.

Both vehicles were travelling along the single carriageway road in the same direction, towards Clacton.

The accidents come as Essex Police announced that 50 people had died on the county's road so far this year.

More than 600 people have been seriously injured in the same period, between January and June, and more than 5,700 sustained slight injuries.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to the crash to contact Stanway road policing unit on 01206 762512.