TRIBUTES have been paid to a 21-year-old who died in a crash on the icy A23 yesterday.

Brianna Cambridge, who lived in Newhaven, had been on her way to work in Crawley when her blue Renault is thought to have crashed in icy conditions.

Eyewitnesses said her car ended upside down in a ditch by the side of the road.

She was declared dead at the scene.

Her vehicle was one of four cars in succession to have spun out of control on the ice at around 4am near Pyecombe.

Nobody else was seriously injured.

Brianna, who went to Tideway School in Newhaven, had been in a relationship with Craig Farrant from Lewes since August 2014.

Yesterday afternoon he took to Facebook to post a picture of them together.

Brianna had worked at facilities management group OCS Group, off Brighton Road, Crawley.

Former work colleague Andy Russell wrote on her Facebook page: “RIP Brianna Cambridge, gone way too soon. Thought and prayers to you and your family. I will not forget you.

"You were always such a bubbly person that I enjoyed working with. Lots of love sweetheart xx.”

Friend Jenna Gray said: “RIP to a beautiful young girl taken way too soon. Thoughts are with your family at this time.”

Stacey Phipps posted a photo of her on the beach with Brianna with the message: “Beautiful girl with a beautiful soul. Taken to early! I will miss you so much. I will never forget you Brianna, rest in peace babe xxxx.”

Brianna was born on April 13, 1994, and started at Tideway School in 2005.

She was briefly at West Kent College, Tonbridge, before she started at Sussex Downs College where she studied travel and tourism, graduating in 2013.

While studying she also worked, first at KFC in Newhaven between June and September 2012 and then at the Amex stadium between December 2012 and April 2013. She had worked at OCS since May 2013.

The driver of one of the cars that crashed, who has asked to remain anonymous, described how his car skidded in torrential rain and hail and hit the central reservation before he could regain control of the vehicle and pull over on to the hard shoulder.

He then watched as two other drivers did the same, followed by Brianna’s blue Renault, which left the road and collided with trees.

He said: “It’s so sad, it’s devastating.

“Everyone did what they could.

"We could see into the car but there was no movement, it was an impossible mission.

“The car was upside down and in the trees.”

The accident meant the A23 was closed northbound at Patcham for several hours and led to traffic delays right across Brighton as commuters blocked alternative routes including Carden Avenue and Dyke Road Avenue.

Police are appealing for witnesses for to the crash.

Anyone with information should email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting Operation Entwine.