A MAN has died after a crash which closed a busy Gwent road for more than 12 hours.

The A449 southbound, which links Usk to Newport was closed for a number of hours yesterday - Thursday, May 5 - while emergency services attended the scene of a crash.

The incident took place at around 5.30am.

Today - Friday, May 6 - Gwent Police has confirmed that one of the motorists involved – the driver of a Vauxhall Astra - was pronounced dead at the scene.

It came despite the efforts of Welsh Ambulance Service paramedics at the scene.

The family of the 49-year-old, from the Ebbw Vale area, have been informed, and are receiving specialist support from officers at this time.

According to Gwent Police, the incident saw a collision between “a black Vauxhall Astra and a lorry.”

Along with police and the ambulance service, personnel from the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene.

While traffic investigators attended the scene, the dual carriageway was closed from Raglan to the Coldra roundabout at the eastern edge of Newport.

A diversion was set up, taking southbound drivers from Raglan to Abergavenny and then down towards Newport via Pontypool.

The road re-opened at around 8.30pm - around 15 hours after the crash.

Police statement in full

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: “We received a report of a road traffic collision on the A449 southbound Usk to Newport at around 5.30am on Thursday, May 5.

“Officers attended to assist with traffic management, along with personnel from the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Welsh Ambulance Service, and the collision involved a black Vauxhall Astra and a lorry.

“The driver of the Vauxhall Astra, a 49-year-old man from the Ebbw Vale area, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. His next of kin have been notified and are receiving support from specialist officers.”