Death crash causes road chaos

A FATAL accident on June 18 caused massive disruption between Bexhill and Eastbourne.

A motorcyclist lost his life on the A259 Marsh Road, when his Kawasaki ZX 900 crashed into the back of a Ford Sierra.

He was 39-year-old Steven Pickles, from Folkestone, out for a ride that afternoon with friends.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His bike landed upside-down and back-to-front on the rear of the car.

Both vehicles had been travelling in the same direction, towards Eastbourne when the accident happened at Middle Bridge.

The driver, a 74-year-old man from Newhaven escaped with minor injuries.

The call to emergency services was made at 4.15 by police officer Jenny Mardle, on her way in to work at Bexhill.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The accident scene was attended by helicopter, fire and rescue teams, East Sussex ambulance, the forensic collision investigation unit from Shoreham, plus road traffic police.

Sgt Niall Moloney was the senior investigating officer at the accident scene. He said: "It is yet another tragic motorcycle accident on Sussex roads."

He made an appeal for witnesses to contact him at Bexhill Road policing department on 0845 6070 999.

For four hours the Marsh Road was closed to the public - some of whom reacted strongly to delay and inconvenience caused to their journey.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The A259 was blocked from Little Common roundabout to Wallsend roundabout at Pevensey, meaning drivers from Bexhill had to use alternative routes, for instance through Ninfield.

In the sweltering temperature of the hottest weekend of the year so far, police officers explained the need for vehicles to turn back and find other ways to reach their destination.

Inspector Nathalie Carron said; "We do not underestimate the disruption that closing a main road causes.

"The Highway agency closes the road on our behalf so we can secure evidence from the scene and allow the vehicles to be removed safely."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She appreciated this action caused "huge congestion" around Hooe, Ninfield, Normans Bay and Herbrand Walk in what were "stifling conditions."

The decision to block off the Marsh Road was later explained by Sgt Keith Ellis who had been the early turn investigating officer.

"At the end of the day you have got a family that wants to know why they have lost a loved one, and they want to know the job has been done properly."

"We ask people to be a little bit more understanding because someone has died."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"It is a sudden death, so has to be investigated properly, as if it was a murder."

He said witness statements were necessary, with collision investigation and reconstruction to find out what happened and the dynamics of the situation.

All this went to "piece together what has gone on and what has gone wrong which can be very helpful for the families going through the grieving process."

Related topics: