A MOTORIST was today fighting for his life after an horrific crash in which his car was left crushed under a juggernaut.Firefighters spent an hour cutting the man free from his Honda Civic after the accident on the A14 on the edge of Felixstowe.

By Richard Cornwell

A MOTORIST was today fighting for his life after an horrific crash in which his car was left crushed under a juggernaut.

Firefighters spent an hour cutting the man free from his Honda Civic after the accident on the A14 on the edge of Felixstowe.

The man – who comes from the Felixstowe area – was today said to be in a "poorly" condition in Ipswich Hospital.

Police said his name would not be released until all his next of kin had been informed. They managed to contact some family last night but others were still being informed this morning.

The accident happened at 10.35pm as traffic was leaving the Port of Felixstowe at the end of a shift.

Police said the Honda Civic went into the back of an articulated lorry carrying a container, close to the lorry lay-by on the Port of Felixstowe Road Ipswich-bound carriageway before the dock spur roundabout.

It is not known whether the lorry was pulling in or out of the roundabout at the time or just driving on the dual carriageway.

Police, two ambulances and three fire crews were called to the scene, and found the Honda trapped beneath the rear of the vehicle with no easy way of getting the driver, who is understood to have suffered facial injuries, out of his car.

Firefighters had to use heavy cutting gear to remove parts of the car in order to allow paramedics to reach the injured man.

Dr Maarten de Cleen >, of Suffolk Accident Rescue Service, said: "There was one male casualty who was trapped because his car had partially gone underneath the lorry.

"To reach him we had to remove the roof of the car and the steering wheel. We needed to create space as we didn't know what was wrong with him. In a crash like that anything could've happened.

"He had serious injuries. At the time his life was in danger. He also had severe facial injuries and when he was released was whisked off to Ipswich Hospital where a trauma team was on standby.

It took the crews until just before 11.30pm before he could be safely removed and taken to Ipswich Hospital.

Two fire crews from Felixstowe and the pump rescue tender from Princes Street, Ipswich, attended the scene.

A police spokesman said the crash left the road blocked for sometime and diversions were set up for traffic leaving the port, with cars and lorries having to be re-routed back through Felixstowe to reach the A14.

Traffic police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the crash on the long, straight section of road and have made an appeal for witnesses who may have seen the accident or either of the vehicles prior to the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt Colin Teager in the traffic unit at police headquarters, Martlesham, on 01473 613500.

The A14 on the edge of Felixstowe is used by around 30,000 vehicles a day, and two millions lorries a year. The stretch where the accident happened is used mostly by traffic going to and from the port, Britain's biggest container terminal, but also residents of the Cavendish Park estates.