AN 18-year-old man died after being hit by a van as he tried to cross a motorway in the county in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Dean Taylor was struck as he ran across the M25 at the Dartford tunnel approach road, the A282 near Bow Arrow Lane, Dartford, at around 5am.

The incident caused long delays and police were forced to close the road between junctions 2 and 1a.

The anti-clockwise entry slip road at junction 2 was also closed.

Police were at the scene at the time of the incident and the Police Independent Complaints Commission is now investigating.

It has been confirmed that Mr Taylor, from Farnol Road, Dartford, was not struck by a police van.

Matthew Turrell, 17, a friend of Mr Taylor's, said he was shocked to hear the news.

He said: "I cannot believe it has happened. He was not the sort of person to do something like that, he was sensible."

Peter Orr, an IPCC officer who attended the scene, said: "We need to find out why this man was trying to run across the motorway. What we do not know is why he did that."