A pedestrian has died after a collision with a lorry on the A14 near Ipswich last night. See the latest here.

Ipswich Star: Ipswich, Suffolk. The scene of the road traffic collision on the A14 at Sproughton junction on Boxing Day Evening,. Picture: MARK BULLIMOREIpswich, Suffolk. The scene of the road traffic collision on the A14 at Sproughton junction on Boxing Day Evening,. Picture: MARK BULLIMORE (Image: Mark Bullimore Photography 2016)

Emergency services were called to the eastbound carriageway shortly after 5.50pm between junctions 54 for Sproughton and 55 for Copdock.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the male pedestrian, whose age was not known at the time of this newspaper going to press, was confirmed dead at the scene.

He is the 30th fatality on Suffolk’s roads this year.

Police said the crash happened on the carriageway itself, and closed the stretch of road between the two junctions while paramedics and officers worked at the scene.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman last night said: “EEAST received a call today at 5.56pm to reports of a serious road traffic collision involving a lorry and a male pedestrian on the A14 near Ipswich.

“A rapid response vehicle and ambulance crew were dispatched to assist the police who were first on scene.”

The spokesman added that the lorry driver had not suffered any injuries.

The road remained closed for most of the evening while officers carried out a collision investigation, and a diversion was put in place through Claydon, Bramford and Sproughton.

The crash caused severe delays for motorists heading eastbound, at a time when football fans were heading home from the Ipswich Town home game against Fulham at Portman Road.

Last year a six-year record high of 36 deaths were reported on the county’s roads, with last night’s crash the 30th fatality on Suffolk’s roads in 2016.