POLICE have today named a man killed in a horror crash on the A14 which also left three horses dead.

Thomas Allen, 23, of Soham in Cambridgeshire, died at Ipswich Hospital on Christmas Day after suffering critical head injuries in the accident.

Officers have questioned a man arrested on suspicion of “endangering road users” after six horses apparently strayed onto the A14 in Suffolk, causing the horrific crash.

Emergency services faced a scene of carnage when they arrived at the accident near Sproughton, just outside Ipswich, at about 10.20pm on Christmas Eve.

Up to four cars were thought to have been in collision with five or six loose horses, although one car, a red hatchback saloon, was involved in a particularly serious impact.

Its driver, a 23-year-old man, suffered critical head injuries and police say he died at Ipswich Hospital yesterday.

A 20-year-old woman who was the front-seat passenger was also taken to hospital but her injuries were not believed to be serious. No other motorists were hurt.

Three of the horses, one of them a mare in foal, died at the scene.

The westbound stretch of the A14 was closed for more than 12 hours throughout Christmas Day while accident investigators tried to establish exactly what had happened.

A 26-year-old man was arrested was on suspicion of causing danger to road users. He was interviewed at the Martlesham police investigation centre and released on police bail until February 28.

The accident comes just weeks after a number of other incidents involving horses in the area.

In September, two horses were killed near the Whitehouse junction, just a short distance away from the Christmas Eve crash, after straying onto the carriageway. At the time, it was reported five of the animals had been seen walking down the slip road to the A14.

And on December 16 there were reports that a number of horses had strayed into people’s gardens in Sproughton.

On Monday, the 23-year-old driver, from Cambridgeshire, was treated at the scene by paramedics and two Suffolk Accident Rescue Service volunteer doctors, Dr Andrew Mason and Dr Jeremy Mauger. He was taken to Ipswich Hospital with one of the SARS doctors in the ambulance, but police said yesterday afternoon he had lost his fight for life.

Police closed the carriageway in both directions while they dealt with the incident, and the westbound stretch remained closed between Copdock and Sproughton until about 2pm yesterday.

Witnesses to the accident are asked to call Pc Ali Cotton at Suffolk police on 101.