A MAN in his 40s has died after a serious crash on the A13 meant the road was closed for for more than six hours.

Three fire crews from Rayleigh and Basildon were called to the scene in the Five Bells area after being called at 8.50pm last night.

Essex Police this morning confirmed the driver of a black Mercedes E280, from Canvey, died at the scene after crashing with a stationary lorry on the Southend-bound carriageway

His next of kin has been informed.

The road was closed until around 3am.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 101 or email collisionappeal@essex.pnn.police.uk.

PC Marek Jaworski of the community policing team in Basildon tweeted just after 9pm to say the incident was ongoing and the road was closed Southend-bound between Stanford and Five Bells.

Jermaine Kelsey, who was travelling 100m behind when the incident happened, said: "Standstill. Police are now turning people around in the road and driving back to the last exit. It'll be clear within 15 mins.

"We were 100m from the incident. A car had gone into a lorry parked in the layby.

"Debris has blocked the rest of the carrageway. We are all turned around now and being filtered off at the last junction."