An 81-year-old woman from Totland has tragically died after being run over by a lorry on the High Street in Newport, with the driver arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving.
Emergency services rushed to the scene outside the former Carphone Warehouse shop, near the junction with St James’ Square, at just before 15:10 yesterday afternoon (Monday).
It’s understood the victim came into contact with a large JPC Demolition lorry and went under the wheels as it travelled down the High Street.
Sadly, despite the best efforts of paramedics from the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service, nothing could be done to save the elderly woman’s life and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
It has been confirmed this morning that a 24-year-old man from Bembridge was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and has been released under investigation.
Firefighters were called in to erect blue sheets to shield the graphic scene from shocked shoppers.
Cordons remained in situ around the scene – which was described as distressing by witnesses – for several hours as investigations into the incident got underway. The mainland-based Collision Investigation Unit travelled across the Solent to take the lead on the operation.
Roads in the area have now re-opened.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary says that the woman’s family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers at this time.
Police are appealing for any witnesses to come forward and would particularly like to speak to anyone with relevant dash cam, doorbell or CCTV footage.
Anyone with relevant information should call 101 quoting reference number 44230020631.
Editor’s footnote: the publication time has been changed from 08:54 to 10:21 to assist with homepage prominence
Such sad news poor lady heart goes out to the family
That’s why you don’t have vehicles travelling through your town poor lady
Have to state the above Kev is not me! I am not responsible for the comment on vehicles in town, which defies logic and deserves thumbs down.
A most shocking event and my condolences to family and friends RIP poor lady.
The police believe poor driving may be responsible for this tragic loss of life and this young man will have to live with this.
My Question to ‘ Kev, ‘ how would you get customers to businesses and how exactly would shops etc receive goods for potential customers? Traffic and people can co exist together with due care and attention as long as ‘ rules are followed ‘ by traffic and pedestrians ‘ alike.
Customers to businesses? Park in a car park and walk few meters. Exception for blue badge owners who would still have to yield to pedestrians and cyclists. Lorries delivering to shops in set hours only, again yielding to other vulnerable road users. Absolute priority to pedestrians with no traffic lights in sight, everything pedestrianised with that brick surface that makes cars slow down. Could probably even introduce bus lanes if traffic is reduced.
Accidents are going to happen. You can’t guarantee 100% due care and attention all the time. Infrastructure is going to fail. It’s just a numbers game. But less heavy vehicles, less chances for it to be deadly.
I can recommend Jan Gehl’s “Cities for People” book – he’s a Dutch architect who has been dealing with this topic since the 80s if not longer. You will find much more detailed answers to your questions there!
How is Pisa or other Italian towns doing that? You can see few cars in centre but it’s mostly residents, then sometimes deliveries and taxis, and you are not afraid to walk or run whenever you want there. Nowhere near Newport scale.
Causing death by careless driving? In Britain that may even mean a £60 fine!
This was our choice to put heavy traffic through town centre. Bound to happen if you mix pedestrians with lorries. Protections are only going to work so many times. At one point some mom and child are also going to die in East Cowes on Old Rd, going to school. Oh, what tearful articles we will have then. But we don’t need even pavement there from what I heard as it’d inconvenience the heavy traffic.
Lets see what we’ll decide now. Should town centre be a safe space for all kinds of vulnerable users, or a highway for vehicles? Should people in town centre constantly yield on traffic lights to thorough traffic, or should cars be the guests?
£60 fine for careless driving is for car drivers and motorcycles HGV drivers are fined far more because they have far more road responsibilities
I feel sick reading this, so sorry for this lady and her loved ones….RIP
How sad an end for such a long lifetime.
Hope the family can stay strong. RiP
How horrible. Traumatic for any witnesses to have to see that too.
You don’t no the full story sounds like anyway you may be the idiot wait until all is understood
Gracious me that is simply awful. I do wish the lady’s family all the best and may their loved one find peace in these tragic events.
I can only imagine how that lorry driver must feel ,very very sad for the poor lady and family ,but to call the lorry driver a idiot is very strong and unreasonable , you were not there , and I think I’m right in saying the driver is automatically arrested,whether he’s guilty or innocent . So please be a bit more thoughtful when passing judgement
Making an arrest is standard. How do you know it was the drivers fault. Think about what he is going through. How do you know it wasn’t her fault. Stupid comment
You don’t know the full circumstances of this accident therefore you can’t just label him an idiot. He is a professional driver and the full facts aren’t public yet, so id suggest you hold your judgemental comments.
So very sad and condolences for the poor lady’s family. Perhaps now they will put a stop to the High Street being the main through road for traffic. What does it take for them to realise that lorries – farm machinery – coaches – buses and cars do not mix with pedestrians.
So sad my thoughts are with this ladies family ❤️ lorries travelling through towns are dangerous happened in the last town I lived in
Lorries never went through the town they turned off at cedars hill and went past the chalk pit but the IWCC 20 years ago made that restriction 6’6” so coming from middle road the town centre became the route the other way is left along Gunville but it’s a bad camber for loaded HGV s and difficult with parked vehicles
How tragic this for all concerned.
Dreadful, so sad. I hope those who witnessed this get the support they need.
It is very sad, but people do not use the crossings and nip between the traffic. I have restricted mobility issues and always use the crossings making sure traffic has stopped first, even if I have to walk further to use it. A lesson for us all.
Ah, the little towns in Italy like Perugia or Castillo del Lago where centres are pedestrianised and vulnerable road users can walk care-free… I wonder are we going to try that at one point.
Poor lady so sad must of been traumatic for witnesses and all involved my feelings go to the family at this sad time
Also consider the driver. Until he is prosecuted with evidence of careless driving he is innocent and should be treated as such.
Firstly I’d like to send my condolences to all the family and friends of this lady.
Until circumstances are made clear you should keep your comments to yourself. When someone dies in such an accident the driver will automatically be arrested until a full and thorough investigation is done. This poor driver is a victim here too as he will have to live with this on his conscience for the rest of his life.
Comments on this news feed should surely be to give condolences to the family of this poor lady who lost her life.
May she rest peacefully
Wouldn’t call the poor driver an idiot… you don’t know what happened? And the poor driver has to live with this for the rest of his life! Your the idiot for commenting such shit
HGV traffic and other large vehicles have no option but to pass through the town. The other ‘main’ Road has a chicane on it that is all but impossible for over size vehicles. That is down to the council.
Also bare in mind our illustrious leaders want to shut off the lower high Street so all these HGVs will have to do a left turn here and head towards Hunny Hill.
There has never been any joined up thinking with our council and there never will be while we have people in charge that can’t buy a proper floating bridge, remove a perfectly good roundabout for lights, dig up St Georges’ Way to make it worse, and let us not forget Undercliff Drive! What a woeful record.
The true wonder of the Isle of Wight is the council.
Well said!!
Star comment
Exactly provide a route that doesn’t funnel all the traffic through the centre of the town and coppins bridge and the problem will solve itself.
So sad for the family and worrying for the driver. The council had the opportunity to build a ring road around Newport many years ago. Once again this is more proof our council have failed the residents of this island again.
Well said Dave and I will add again and again and again our council fail us
I feel sorry for the driver too, i can’t imagine how horrifying it must have been when he realised what had happened.
That junction has always been dangerous, especially with the lights both sides that aren’t in sync, the cycle lane, and pedestrians crossing without even looking.. its bad enough driving a car down there, having to anticipate who is going to step out into your path without even looking.. in a lorry your visibility is much reduced – its not possible to see everything going on around you.
hello, just to let you all know. when a serious collision happens and there is a fatality the driver or whoever is seen to have “caused death” is arrested just as a precaution. i know the driver and he is a lovely funny bloke just hope is okay. so please stop trolling it is equally as traumatic for him he is only young and has his whole life ahead of him. any lorry or truck driver or anyone who drives could be in his position stop being so quick to judge and think about what you put out. okay thankyou
– “greg”
A few years ago my father inlaw was killed on a crossing the driver blamed Sun blindness . This played a factor so did him driving at 40 miles per hour . Result -nothing not even a point for speeding .