A WOMAN has died following a crash on the A417 on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on the southbound carriageway close to the junction with the A429 Burford Road and Harebushes services, near Cirencester at about 10am.

It happened close to the exit slip road of the main dual carriageway and involved a red Volkswagen Polo and a white large goods vehicle towing a semi-trailer that was driven by a man from the Leicester area.

An off-duty police officer and paramedics arrived quickly but despite their best efforts, the Polo driver, a woman aged in her 80s and from the Taunton area, was declared dead at the scene.

The lorry driver was said to be physically uninjured in the collision.

Gloucestershire Constabulary would like to thank a number of witnesses who stopped at the scene and assisted the off-duty officer and paramedics.

A forensic collision investigator from the constabulary’s collision investigation unit also attended the scene.

The road remained closed for several hours while both vehicles were recovered, with it being re-opened at about 5pm.

During the closure, there were long delays in the area as drivers were diverted off the carriageway near Daglingworth and through Stratton.

Officers investigating the collision would like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed it, or who has relevant dash-cam footage, and has not already spoken to police.

Police are particularly keen to speak to the occupants of a white transit style van that was possibly travelling several vehicles behind the lorry shortly before the collision happened.

Investigators would also like to hear from anyone who may have travelled on the A417 in either direction around 10am who may have seen the red Volkswagen Polo between the Daglingworth and Harebushes junctions before the collision occurred.

If any pedestrians were present on the overbridge close to the service station at the time the collision happened they are also asked to call police on 101 and reference incident 111 of October 8.