29 June 2010 Last updated at 03:39 ET

Essex A12 tractor crash trucker remains 'critical'

Both vehicles crashed into the central reservation

A lorry driver remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital after a collision with a tractor that closed A12 in Essex for nearly ten hours.

The accident happened on the southbound carriageway near Witham on Monday afternoon.

The lorry driver, a 53-year-old man from the Felixstowe area of Suffolk was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital with serious internal injuries.

The tractor driver from Wickford was taken to hospital but later discharged.

The accident happened at 1430 BST and closed both carriageways of the A12.

The road was opened just after midnight.

Police gave bottles of water to stranded motorists and paramedics were on standby to deal with anyone suffering from heat exhaustion.