A DRIVER and passenger were killed when their car was involved in a horrific accident with a 40-tonne lorry on a village road.The man and woman, who are thought to be elderly, both died at the scene after being cut free from the wreckage of their red Fiat Panda, which collided with a French Daff lorry yesterday.

A DRIVER and passenger were killed when their car was involved in a horrific accident with a 40-tonne lorry on a village road.

The man and woman, who are thought to be elderly, both died at the scene after being cut free from the wreckage of their red Fiat Panda, which collided with a French Daff lorry yesterday.

The accident brought the number of people killed this year on Suffolk's roads to 21 and followed an accident on Wednesday in which a 38-year-old lorry driver was killed when his articulated vehicle overturned on a roundabout outside the Port of Felixstowe.

Yesterday's accident - which happened on the A134 at Great Barton only feet from the front door of a cottage, is thought to have been caused when a dog ran out in front of the truck.

The crash prompted fresh demands for a bypass on the A134 road.

Assistant Divisional Officer Jon Illingworth said: “The driver and rear seat passenger were severely trapped.

“The impact was of such force everything came down on the driver and the part of roof above the driver was bent down towards him.

“The rear seat passenger was trapped down in the foot well of the vehicle.

“I just happened to be driving past at just after 1.15pm shortly after the crash happened. I was the first here and called our control to ensure the resources we needed were sent.”

Mr Illingworth said he took advice from paramedics on the scene and made it a priority to get the victims out as quickly as possible.

He said cutting gear was used to hack the roof of the small car off and the passenger and driver were removed with firefighters working “extremely closely” with ambulance staff.

Reg and Dallas Barnett, who own a cottage only yards from the scene of the smash, had just arrived home when the crash happened.

Mrs Barnett said: “I heard this great big crash - it was so loud I thought something had smashed in to the cottage. I think we were very lucky today. A few inches more and it would have demolished the front of our house.”

A police spokesman said a second passenger in the car was taken to West Suffolk Hospital to be treated for their injuries and that the driver of the lorry, thought to be a French national, escaped injury.