A man in his 40s has died and a one-year-old girl is fighting for her life following a collision on the A34 near Sutton Scotney. The incident occurred at around 3.13pm on Friday, October 23, when a Citroen Grand C4 Picasso broke down on the southbound carriageway between Upper Bullington and Worthy Down, close to Sutton Scotney Services.
Shortly after the Citroen came to a stop, a Mercedes Sprinter van collided with the stationary vehicle. The driver of the Citroen, a man in his 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene, and Hampshire Police confirmed that his next of kin has been informed.
Injuries and Arrest
A woman and two children who were travelling in the Citroen were also injured in the collision. One of the children, a little girl, remains in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the van, a 33-year-old man from Walsall, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and causing serious injury by careless driving. He has been bailed with conditions until December 4 while the investigation continues.
Police Appeal for Witnesses
Hampshire Police have said that a thorough investigation is underway and have expressed their sympathies with the victims. Detective Sergeant Oliver Cahill-Smith, of the Joint Operations Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "First and foremost, our thoughts are with the victims of this collision, one who has sadly died and another who is in a critical condition in hospital, and their loved ones at this extremely difficult time."
Police are appealing for anyone who was on the A34 southbound between Upper Bullington and Worthy Down between 3pm and 3.20pm to come forward, particularly those with dash-cam footage. "Any footage showing the vehicle before the collision occurred could be just as important as footage of the collision itself," added Detective Sergeant Cahill-Smith.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Hampshire Police on 101, quoting reference 44260520753, and those with dash-cam or other digital media are urged to retain the original recordings and inform investigators as soon as possible.
