Police have confirmed a man tragically died at the scene of a serious incident on the busy Essex road on Saturday morning (January 3)
Matt Lee Senior Multimedia Journalist
22:08, 03 Jan 2026Updated 22:12, 03 Jan 2026
Police were called to the incident. File image(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
A man has died after a collision on the A120 near Coggeshall on Saturday morning (January 3). Emergency services rushed to the major road following reports of an incident involving multiple vehicles at around 7am.
The incident occurred on the Colchester-bound carriageway between West Street and Colne Road. Sadly, a man in his 50s died. His family have been informed and is being supported.
A number of vehicles were at the scene when police arrived, but Essex Police are treating the incident as a ‘fail to stop collision’. The force said officers are exploring whether a white van found with significant fire damage in a layby on the Braintree-bound carriageway, close to Watery Lane, before Bradwell, was involved.
The initial call Essex Police took on Saturday morning, at 6.50am, reported a man who appeared vulnerable with grey hair and dark clothing walking alone on the A120 towards Colchester. This description matches that of the man who has sadly died.
Officers want to hear from anyone who was driving on the A120 between Bradwell, Coggeshall and Colchester between 6.30am and 7.10am who may have seen this man. They would also like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the van being set alight in the layby or an individual accessing it.
Inspector James Freeman, of the roads policing unit, is leading the investigation. He said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family of the man who has tragically lost his life today. We have been working throughout the day to build a picture of what happened on the A120 this morning, and I’m asking anyone with information on either the man seen walking or the white van, which was fire-damaged, to please come forward.
“You may have dashcam footage which you haven’t yet checked because you weren’t aware of the situation; I would urge you, please do check it. Your information may be crucial to our investigation.”
Anyone with information can submit information via the online reporting service at https://www.essex.police.uk, use the Live Chat, or call 101 quoting incident 192 of 3 January 2026.