A woman died and a man was in a critical condition today after two separate freak crashes in Colchester - one involving a stray horse.

In the first a 31-year-old mother from the town was involved in a three-car crash and later died after she fell ill while at the wheel.

The woman, who may have suffered a stroke, was taken to Colchester General Hospital after her Ford Mondeo collided with two other cars. She was later pronounced dead.

The crash happened just before midday yesterday at the junction between Mersea Road and St Botolph's roundabout in Colchester.

In the second incident a driver was today left fighting for his life after his car was in a collision with a stray horse. Police sealed off Bromley Road, Colchester, for several hours after the accident happened just before 6am.

The horse was killed outright when it was in a collision with the Saab 900. Five other horses, which were loose in the area, also had to be rounded up.

A traffic police spokesman said the car's driver, an Ardleigh man, was taken to Colchester General Hospital with serious, potentially life-threatening head injuries.

Published Tuesday, March 12, 2002