Car-coach crash brings traffic chaos

Firefighters had worked to cut a semi-conscious car driver from the mangled remains of his vehicle after it was in head-on collision with a Rambler coach about 300 yards west along the A59 from Little Common roundabout.

Police at the scene said the accident happened at 3.33am as the east-bound coach was travelling empty.

Car and coach ended up locked together is the garden of a house on the south side of Barnhorn Road after demolishing a 40ft tree.

It was the third accident on the same stretch of road in a matter of weeks.

Police set up road blocks and diverted traffic while a hydraulic arm lifted the car on to the back of a low-loader and a heavy recovery lorry hauled the coach out of the garden.

But the clear-up operation, which continued util gone 8am came at a time when roads in the area were also suffering from other incidents.

The junction of the A27 and A259 had been blocked at Westham by an accident and High Street, Battle was shutfollowing a car-lorry collision.

Traffic diverted down the narrow Old Marsh Road became grid-locked when two lorries became jammed at the tight bend and bridge at the Star Inn.