UPDATE: Five young women involved in fatal A47 crash

A crash which closed one lane of the A47 for several hours today (Tuesday) killed one teenager and injured four other women aged between 17 and 20.

The five young women were believed to be returning from Halloween celebrations at about 5.30am when the black Fiat Punto they were travelling in was involved in the crash at North Burlingham, near Acle.

The front seat passenger died while another of the occupants was said by police to be in a serious but stable condition.

Three other women were taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Tonight, police appealed for witnesses to contact them with information.

The car, which burst into flames following the crash, hit a lorry parked in an A47 layby on the Yarmouth-bound side of the road between Yarmouth Road, Blofield, and South Walsham Road, North Burlingham, close to the Lingwood junction.

The driver of the lorry, a man, was in shock but not injured.

Following the crash, Inspector Darren Elliott, of Norfolk Constabulary, said: 'We believe that a car travelling from Norwich towards Acle on the A47 has driven into the back of a stationary heavy goods vehicle parked in a layby and tragically one person has died and four others are in hospital at the moment and the car did burst into flames at the scene.'

The road was closed for several hours while a police investigation was launched and damage to the road caused by the fire was repaired.

It re-opened at 1.25pm.

Traffic was diverted along the country roads both north and south of the A47, with the route between Lingwood and Blofield held up by slow moving large vehicles trying to pass in the narrow lanes.

Anyone with information about the crash should contact PC Ian Thexton at Norfolk Police's serious collision investigation team on 101.

Did you see what happened? Contact reporter Kim Briscoe on 01603 772419 or email kim.briscoe@archant.co.uk