A SUFFOLK man who died at the wheel of his Ford Mondeo is believed to have had a heart attack prior to the crash.The man in his 40s who is believed to be from the Ipswich area died after he became ill at the wheel which resulted in his car running off the road and careering into a hedge.

A SUFFOLK man who died at the wheel of his Ford Mondeo is believed to have had a heart attack prior to the crash.

The man in his 40s who is believed to be from the Ipswich area died after he became ill at the wheel which resulted in his car running off the road and careering into a hedge.

Suffolk police and the East Anglian Ambulance Service were called to the accident on the A137 at Wherstead near the junction with Valley Lane at 8.50pm yesterday.

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said the name of the dead man would not be released until the man's next of kin had been informed.

The Ford Mondeo car that the man was driving left the road and no other vehicles were involved in the accident.

The man, who was the only person in the car, was taken to Ipswich Hospital on Heath Road but was certified dead on arrival.

Today both the East Anglian Ambulance Service and Suffolk Police confirmed that the man had suffered a heart attack prior to the crash.

Last night's accident was the second fatal road crash on the Shotley Peninsula in a month, which have resulted in the deaths of three people.

A 23-year-old woman from Kesgrave, and 20 year old man from Ipswich died in an accident on August 21 when a Peugeot 205 car left the road at the junction of the B1045 and B1080 at Freston and crashed into an embankment.

Nearly 40 people have died on the county's roads so far this year.

Anyone with any information about last night's crash should contact the officer in charge of the case, acting Sgt Chris Rhodda, at Suffolk Police on 01473 613500.