AN ELDERLY female motorist was killed in a horrific head-on smash last night – less than an hour before another crash left a child fighting for life.The first accident, which happened at 4.

AN ELDERLY female motorist was killed in a horrific head-on smash last night – less than an hour before another crash left a child fighting for life.

The first accident, which happened at 4.20pm on the A143 between Rickinghall and Wattisfield, saw a grey Renault Megane and a silver Peugeot 406 collide.

Firefighters from Ixworth, Bury St Edmunds and Elmswell were called to the scene to release the female casualty, who was having breathing difficulties.

She was then taken by ambulance to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury for treatment, but was pronounced dead.

No details about the dead woman have been released, and it was not clear last night if she was from the local area.

The second serious accident happened at 5.12pm on the B1078 between Ringshall and Barking and again involved two cars.

A black Ford Puma and a grey Skoda Octavia crashed, sending the Ford plunging into a ditch while the Skoda ended up in a field.

A nine-year-old child suffered life-threatening internal injuries in the smash, while two other people were also hurt.

All the casualties were taken to Ipswich Hospital for treatment. Both crashes saw the roads closed and diversions put in place.

Crash investigation officers last night launched inquiries into both accidents and were on scene collecting evidence.