A MOTORIST who died in a crash after driving the wrong way along the A14 could have been on the dual carriageway for more than ten miles before the accident.

AN AMERICAN airman who died in a crash after driving the wrong way along the A14 could have been on the dual carriageway for more than ten miles before the accident.

Police today said they want to speak to anyone who was driving on the A14 from the junction at Haughley - ten miles away from where the crash happened in Bury St Edmunds.

It was on Friday at around 3am that the 24-year-old motorist, whose identity has not yet been confirmed, collided with a lorry on one of Suffolk's major roads between Bury St Edmunds' sugar factory and the junction with Westley.

His car burst into flames and fire crews battled to put the blaze out over the next hour-and-a-half but the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash caused travel chaos for users of the A14 and tailbacks were caused as long as four-miles in the Ipswich to Bury direction as vehicles were directed through Bury's town centre.

The road was not fully opened again until 1pm as police cleared up the vehicles and carried out investigations.

Officers have today confirmed they are now appealing to anyone who was within a ten-mile area of the crash to come forward as possible witnesses.

Anne-Marie Breach, spokeswoman for Suffolk police, said: “We think it took place from the Haughley area onwards and would like to speak to anyone who was driving along the road at this time on Friday.”

The lorry driver survived the crash and declined hospital treatment.

Three other American airmen are still fighting for their lives in hospital after the vehicle they were travelling in crashed into a tree at Undley Road, Lakenheath, on Saturday night.

Of the four people from the nearby airbase injured, three remain in a critical condition at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and the fourth is in a serious condition.

Anyone who has information about the crash should contact police on 01473 613500.