ONE man has died and two others left with serious injuries after a crash on the A12 near Margaretting on Sunday night.

At about 11.30pm the three men all in their 20s were in a car which left the northbound carriageway and collided with a tree.

A male from London was pronounced dead at the scene while another was taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford before later being transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with what police described as "life-threatening injuries".

The third man received serious leg injuries and is being treated at the Royal London Hospital.

Police closed the carriageway off between the junctions with Margaretting and Ingatestone until 5.45am while they carried out their initial investigations.

Anyone with information about the crash is urged to call the Essex Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 101 or email colllisionappeal@essex.pnn.police.uk.