Five arrested after 19-year-old dies in crash

Police are asking for dashcam footage from drivers who were in the area

Five people have been arrested after a teenager died when a Mercedes crashed into a ditch.

Essex police said a 19-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene of a "single-vehicle collision" in Oak Road, Crays Hill, near Basildon, shortly after 00:35 BST on Saturday.

"Alongside ambulance and fire service colleagues, officers worked hard at the scene after establishing a Mercedes car had left the road and entered a ditch," said a police spokesperson.

Four men - aged 74, 54, 18 and 16 - all from Billericay, and one woman, aged 20, from Rayleigh, were arrested and questioned. They have all been released on bail.

Det Sgt Steve Holmes, of the Serious Collison Investigation Unit, said: "Our work has been continuing throughout the weekend to piece together the circumstances which led up to this horrific incident.

"This collision has cost a young woman her life and we will work tirelessly to establish what happened to cause her death."

Dashcam appeal

Police said the car involved was a black Mercedes SLK. Officers said they believed it was "likely there were four occupants of the vehicle that night - two men and two women".

Det Sgt Holmes appealed to anyone driving in the area of Basildon and Billericay in the hours before the incident to "think back to what they may have seen".

He added: "It may be your attention was drawn to the manner of driving, or perhaps you have dashcam footage which could be reviewed."