Black Christmas on county's roads

A 37-year-old man from Billingshurst, a 38-year-old woman from Worthing and a 39-year-old man from Dorset died when a van collided with their stationary Mazda 626 by the Coach and Horses pub on the A27 at Salvington. They had been involved in a minor collision with a Honda Accord at about midnight on Thursday and had just come to a halt before they were killed, along with a dog, in the second collision. All three vehicles were travelling eastwards.

A 48-year-old man from Yekverton in Devon in the Honda was taken to Worthing Hospital with a serious chest injury. The van driver suffered minor injuries.

Landlord of the Coach and Horses, Peter Bond (56) said the three were all regulars at the and had helped him clear up after closing. He had witnessed the aftermath of the crash when he said one of the men got out of the car and was trying to help the other two out when the third vehicle collided with them.

"My daughter was outside the pub and saw it all. She screamed at him to get out of the way. He turned but did not have time to move and he was hit," he said.

The A27 was closed for more than 12 hours while debris was cleared and the traffic diverted.

Full story in West Sussex Gazette, December 29 2005