Woman dies in horror crash

Dorothea Mary Pollard, 81, a retired teacher from Short Furlong, Littlehampton, had just left the Tesco Express store in Finisterre Way and was crossing Beaumont Park Road with her shopping when she was struck by a Ford Escort travelling east, driven by a 51-year-old Littlehampton woman.

The force of the impact smashed the elderly woman through the car's windscreen and into the vehicle, where she came to rest after hitting and shattering its rear window.

She was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, who also treated the driver's husband for shock.

The dead woman's shopping was scattered across the road and as the police cordoned off an area from The Winter Knoll to Tideway and carried out their duties, it was a macabre scene as a crowd gathered.

One witness, Sue Matthews of Wick, was driving along Beaumont Park towards Littlehampton when she came across the scene.

"I saw people in the road waving to stop the traffic," she said. "So I stopped my car in front of the car with the smashed windscreen and got out to see if I could help.

"I could see that there had been an accident and I stopped the traffic coming the other way."

Andrew Heasman, manager of the Tesco Express store, said that the first he and his staff knew of the accident was the flashing blue of the police lights outside.

Sgt Neil Walker told the Gazette that the female driver of the car had been arrested and taken to Worthing police station for questioning and had since been released on police bail until January 20 while further investigations are carried out.

Police are appealing for witnesses to call 0845 60 70 999 quoting Operation Waterman.