IN a weekend of tragedy the death toll on Suffolk's roads this year rose to 33.Three motorists lost their lives in less than 12 hours as a series of collisions rocked the county.

IN a weekend of tragedy the death toll on Suffolk's roads this year rose to 33.

Three motorists lost their lives in less than 12 hours as a series of collisions rocked the county.

The first happened in Stowupland yesterday when a woman was killed on the A1120 near Stowupland. Less than nine hours later a motorcyclist was fatally injured in a collision at Nacton. And shortly after this a woman was pronounced dead at the scene of an accident in Tattingstone.

At 7.30am yesterday an Audi 80 and a Vauxhall Astra travelling in opposite directions along the A1120 between Stowupland and Earl Stonham collided.

The 22-year-old female Audi driver, who is from the area and had been heading toward Earl Stonham, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her passenger and the two occupants of the Astra were taken to Ipswich Hospital, the Astra driver with serious injuries.

Emergency services, including firefighters from Debenham, Needham Market and Princes Street, Ipswich, attended the scene which was closed to traffic for several hours.

Nine hours later, as thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts made their way home from Copdock Motorcycle Show at Suffolk Showground, a motorcyclist was fatally injured in a collision with a Nissan Almera.

The accident happened just before 4pm on the A1156, the old Felixstowe Road, at the Nacton junction. Firefighters from Princes Street and Colchester Road, Ipswich, were called to cut the elderly driver of the Nissan free.

Sergeant Graham Burch said: "The motorcyclist was taken to Ipswich hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"The female driver of the car and her passenger were taken to hospital having been released by the fire service."

The name of the dead motorcyclist had today not been released by the police, but he is believed to be a 45-year-old from Trimley.

While officers were still working at the scene of the Nacton crash emergency services were called to a fourth fatal collision in Tattingstone.

A Volvo Estate and a Citroen Saxo hit head on as they travelled along the A137 near Alton Water at about 5.15pm. The male driver of the Volvo managed to get out of his car which burst into flames while the female driver of the Citroen was fatally injured.

Sgt Burch said: "The Volvo caught fire and the driver, who was walking wounded, was taken to Ipswich Hospital.

"The driver of the other car was pronounced dead at the scene."

The weekend of death on Suffolk's roads takes the toll since January to 34 and comes only days after three accidents in 36 hours claimed three lives.

On Wednesday 18-year-old soldier Sapper Lee Passmore, from Devon, died when the army lorry in which he was passenger careered down an embankment and rolled over twice near to the A14 Claydon turn off. He had only recently completed his army training before joining 25 Squadron of the 38 Engineer Regiment in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Less than ten hours after this collision a 24-year-old James Thomson, from Sudbury, was killed in a crash on the A134 at Long Melford. Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle accident on the village's bypass near the junction with Bull Lane shortly after 10pm.

And on Thursday at 10.50pm a Anthony Rankin, 55, from Beccles, was killed in a two-vehicle collision on the A146 Beccles bypass at Worlingham.

n Anyone with information about any of the collisions is asked to contact Suffolk Police on 01473 613500.

nAs a mark of respect, The Evening Star's coverage of the Copdock Bike Show has been held over until tomorrow's edition.