A road worker killed on the A2 early today is believed to have been hit by a crane in a freak accident.

The man, in his 30s and from Kent, was fatally injured while repairing the central reservation at Barham.

He is thought to have been struck by the vehicle as he worked to fix damage caused by an overturned beer lorry yesterday.

Kent Police officers are investigating the cause of the Highways Agency contractor's death, helped by the Health and Safety Executive.

Ambulance crews were called to the coastbound carriageway at about 2.40am, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Crews from Kent Fire and Rescue Service were also called to the scene, but did not carry out a ;rescue.

The man was among the workers fixing damage to the central reservation caused yesterday when an overturned lorry spilled its load of beer across the carriageway.

A Highways Agency spokesman said: "We can confirm that a roadworker working on behalf of the Highways Agency has died in an incident this morning on the A2 near Canterbury.

"Our deepest sympathies are with this person’s family, friends and colleagues at this time. "The Highways Agency is liaising with relevant investigating authorities and as such it would not be appropriate to comment further."

Beer spilled across the A2 at Barham when the lorry overturned.

Drivers faced delays, with lane closures on both sides of the carriageway for several, before the road re-opened at about 12.30pm.

The coastbound carriageway was earlier closed between the junctions with the A2050 at Bishopsbourne and the A260 Old Dover Road at Barham. Traffic was diverted via the Barham junction. Traffic on the London-bound carriageway was reduced to one lane.

The central reservation was damaged by the overturned lorry on the coastbound-carriageway at about 2.15pm yesterday.

Two other vehicles were involved and two people suffered minor injuries.

The man's death comes just days after 59-year-old Highways Agency worker John Walmsley, from Gravesend, was killed in a crash on the M25.