A LORRY driver was today fighting for life after his vehicle crashed into the entrance of a popular Ipswich pub.The Mercedes box van was in collision with a small Vauxhall van before mounting the pavement and crashing into the entrance to the Suffolk Punch pub in Norwich Road.

A LORRY driver was today fighting for life after his vehicle crashed into the entrance of a popular Ipswich pub.

The Mercedes box van was in collision with a small Vauxhall van before mounting the pavement and crashing into the entrance to the Suffolk Punch pub in Norwich Road.

The accident closed the road at its junction with Cromer and Deben Roads during this morning's busy rush hour and traffic was diverted around nearby side roads.

Both drivers had to be cut out of their cabs. The lorry driver was believed to be very ill in Ipswich Hospital suffering from serious head injuries, but the van driver is thought to have only suffered cuts bruises and minor whiplash injuries and was allowed home after treatment at the Heath Road hospital.

The accident happened at about 5.45am as landlady Lucille Moran and her family were asleep in their flat.

"We didn't see the accident but we certainly heard it," she said.

"There was a tremendous bang and I thought it was just another accident on the road. This is a real blackspot - something needs to be done about.

"We seem to get bad accidents here just about every week or so, there need to be lights installed here or some kind of improvement to the junction."

The accident left the lorry wedged in the pub doorway.

"It was lucky that it ended up where it did. If it had caught the brickwork at the corner of the pub, he wouldn't have stood a chance," said Ms Moran.

"We're waiting to get the lorry removed and then get someone from the pub owners in to look over it before we can re-open."

The accident was the scene of another accident exactly four weeks ago.

On that occasion there was a collision between a car and a motorcycle as one vehicle tried to turn out of Cromer Road into Norwich Road.

Fortunately there were no serious injuries on that occasion, but it caused severe disruption for commuters heading into Ipswich.

Officials from Ipswich council's engineers' department were today studying details of the accident – and assessing whether further safety measures could be introduced at the junction.

One problem is that there are lights on the Ashcroft Road junction just a few metres away and it would be difficult to introduce a second set.

Borough engineer Pat Ryan said today: "This is a location we have been looking at – up to today there have been eight accidents there in three years.

"But there is no clear pattern to them – they have been caused by different things. We have no details about today's accident as yet.

"There is some money available to do safety work there and we are looking at what would be most effective – but I'm not sure lights will be possible," he said.