A MOTORCYCLIST has died following a crash on an Ipswich road early today.

AN INVESTIGATION is under way today after a teenage motorcyclist was killed on an Ipswich road.

Shaken residents today told of their shock after the male rider, believed to be 18, died when his motorbike mounted a pavement in Nacton Road before colliding with a garden wall.

The tragedy, which happened at around 1.30am today, took place yards from the Golden Hind pub, close to the junction with Maryon Road.

Despite the desperate attempts of paramedics to revive the rider, he died soon after. It is not yet known what caused the crash.

It is believed the motorcyclist had been on his way home from work when the accident took place.

A former work colleague said the motorcyclist, who has not yet been named by police as all family members have yet to be notified, had not been riding for long, having only recently passed his test.

The ex-colleague added: “He was so quiet. He just got on with his work. He was really nice.”

One Nacton Road resident said he was woken by the noise of the collision.

Stuart Beales, 45, said: “I heard an almighty bang. I looked out of the window and there were lots of flashing lights.

“I didn't know what had happened but my wife said there was someone lying in the road. He must have been going at a fair speed because there was such a bang.”

Another neighbour, Shirley Saunders, said: “Me and my husband Barry were woken by flashing lights shining through the bedroom window. It's such a tragedy someone has died.”

Kim Barham, 20, of Nacton Road, added: “It's such a shock.”

The road was cordoned off for several hours while accident investigators scoured the scene and cleared debris from the road.

The accident happened as temperatures plummeted to below freezing and this morning as commuters made their way to work, frost was still covering houses and there was still evidence of ice on the road.

The road was gritted at between 6pm and 8.50pm last night - some four-and-a-half hours before the accident.

An Ipswich Borough Council spokesman said the route is “priority one” and was not gritted more than once as this was considered appropriate for the level of frost.

Anyone with information on the accident is asked to contact Suffolk police on 01473 613500.