Death crash cause 'may be road race'

An early-morning car crash in which one man died and another was critically injured could have been the result of illegal road racing, police said.

Witnesses to a series of collisions, starting when a Vauxhall Omega rolled over after the driver lost control, said the car may have been in a race.

A van driver who stopped to help four people in the Vauxhall was hit by another car and is now critically ill in hospital.

An 18-year-old passenger from the Omega was killed shortly afterwards.

Police believe he was trying to cross the road, possibly confused by the crash, when he was hit by up to three vehicles in the fast lane of the A13 outside Purfleet in Essex.

The crashes took place at about 4.45am on Saturday, and police have appealed for witnesses. A man and a 17-year-old youth have been held on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.