Murder suspect held after van hit and run
Police appeal for witnesses following arrest of local man, 40, over death of 26-year-old in Brighton
‘I’d like to reassure the public that a suspect has been arrested’
POLICE have launched a murder investigation after a hit-and-run involving a white van driver in Brighton.
Sussex Police are now appealing for witnesses after a 26-year-old was hit by the vehicle at 5am at a key junction in the city and pronounced dead at the scene.
The white van was reported to have collided with the pedestrian at Preston Road and Cumberland Road, before leaving the scene.
Police identified and stopped the vehicle in Worthing later that morning, with the driver – a 40-year-old man from Brighton – arrested on suspicion of murder and transported into police custody.
It is believed the body was found in the street on his own in the early hours. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
A police cordon was put in place with the section of the road closed between Preston Drove and Knoyle Road, and motorists are advised to avoid the area in the meantime.
Murder detectives, forensic scene of crime and collision investigators have been in the road since the early hours.
Photographs taken yesterday morning showed a heavy police presence in the area – with forensic workers in hazmat suits collecting evidence.
At least two ambulances, paramedics and more than a dozen police and crime scene investigators were on the street this morning. A black tent was also erected.
Cordons were in place for several hours and motorists were advised to avoid the residential road. The road eventually re-opened at 4.30pm after police left the scene.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “Police are currently responding to a serious collision in Preston Road, Brighton.
“A section of the road has been closed between Preston Drove and Knoyle Road, and motorists are advised to avoid the area in the meantime.”
Detective Chief Inspector Emma Vickers, of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: “Firstly, I’d like to express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victim at this difficult time.
“We are in the early stages of this fast-moving investigation and I’d like to reassure the public that a suspect has been arrested.
“There will be a significant police presence in the area as we seek to establish the circumstances around this tragic incident, and I would urge anyone with information to come forward. I appreciate this will cause disruption to local traffic, and I’d like to thank the public for their patience and understanding.”
The hit-and-run took place in the Brighton suburb just down the road from the musical theatre school, The Brighton Academy. It was also just a few hundred metres from Brighton’s famous Preston Park and access into one of the entrances was blocked from traffic by the cordon.
Detectives are now looking for witnesses and are appealing for any information about the incident and asked to report it online or call 101, quoting Operation Barclay.