Van plunges into Southend underpass

10:33am Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News By Emma Thomas

A VAN driver ran off after he crashed through barriers and plunged 40ft into an underpass.

The silver Aveco panel van drove out of Southchurch Road, Southend, and careered straight into the Queensway underpass landing nose first.

It rolled onto the driver’s side on the central reservation and the man clambered out of the passenger door. He then ran off towards the Seaway car park.

One resident, who didn’t want to be named, described hearing a loud bang at about 2.45am this morning.

Police closed the road until 7.30am while recovery and investigation work took place.

A crane was used to lift the van off the central reservation.

Police are continuing to investigate and are searching for the driver. Anyone with information should call 101. 

Full story, pictures and reaction in tomorrow's Echo.

Comments(21)

reptile says...
11:19am Tue 9 Oct 12

Probably swerved to avoid a cyclist.

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DogsMessInLeigh says...
11:26am Tue 9 Oct 12

Who had strobe lights on their bike.

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aduksquack says...
11:36am Tue 9 Oct 12

Bloody cyclists.

And it's Iveco.

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Olivia2847 says...
11:37am Tue 9 Oct 12

aduksquack wrote:
Bloody cyclists.

And it's Iveco.
Riding on the pavement!

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Audioman says...
11:43am Tue 9 Oct 12

He came out of a club and was driving home I think he may live in BASILDON !!!

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southendshrimper says...
12:04pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Drink? Drugs? both. If this w@nker is caught throw the book at him. Make him pay for all the damage.

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aduksquack says...
12:31pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Olivia2847 wrote:
aduksquack wrote:
Bloody cyclists.

And it's Iveco.
Riding on the pavement!
And not killing anyone.

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southendcivilservant says...
12:43pm Tue 9 Oct 12

I came round this roundabout at 6.50am today and almost careered into a van and a trailer which had no warning lights on. I presume it was some sort of vehicle there to repair the barrier, but I had to swerve to avoid him as the railings prevented me from seeing him until the last moment.
I'm amazed that the driver wasn't badly injured after falling 40ft in that vehicle though. And I'm relieved that nobody was hurt or worse.

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Kurtmay says...
3:03pm Tue 9 Oct 12

I heard this accident happen this morning but was unable to see it.. Saw the police so presumed it was someone taking the pass too quickly ( like so many have over the years! Saw where the accident occurred today and very surprised anyone survived let alone get out and do the offs! No sympathy for drink n drug drivers! Just glad no one else was involved!

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The__Truth says...
4:49pm Tue 9 Oct 12

It'll probably be you & me paying for the costly repairs as the Council don't reclaim accident damage costs back anymore. Must cost the Council & us tens or hundreds of thousands each year!!!! I can't believe the Council are missing our on an oppotunity to make money or at the very least get the cost of the repairs back.

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Basildon.lad.21 says...
5:06pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Audioman wrote:
He came out of a club and was driving home I think he may live in BASILDON !!!
How the hell do you know he lived in Basildon? My opinion is he came out of Monday night Mayhem, after a few too many drinks, and smashed through the barrier. So surprised anyone could actually do that and survive it, let alone run off.

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Basildon.lad.21 says...
5:06pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Audioman wrote:
He came out of a club and was driving home I think he may live in BASILDON !!!
How the hell do you know he lived in Basildon? My opinion is he came out of Monday night Mayhem, after a few too many drinks, and smashed through the barrier. So surprised anyone could actually do that and survive it, let alone run off.

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Basildon.lad.21 says...
5:06pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Audioman wrote:
He came out of a club and was driving home I think he may live in BASILDON !!!
How the hell do you know he lived in Basildon? My opinion is he came out of Monday night Mayhem, after a few too many drinks, and smashed through the barrier. So surprised anyone could actually do that and survive it, let alone run off.

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Diannah says...
6:51pm Tue 9 Oct 12

So, we have a drunk and drugged, Basildon nightclub goer who targets strobe owning cyclists who cycle on pavements! That should be easy for the police to find!

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pupfish says...
9:12pm Tue 9 Oct 12

remember a year or two ago a car went through the railings on that same roundabout and ended up on one of the pedestrian walkways underneath. It amazes me that the drop is just protected by simple railings, not by a proper crash barrier.

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The__Truth says...
12:34am Wed 10 Oct 12

Have a look at the railings. They aren't your normal ones at the side of the road they are all heavy box section steel welded together to be one solid piece the same as a crawl barrier. A bit like the difference between a fence and a wall. The problem is people are supposed to go round the roundabout not straight over it (or in this case down it). If it were hit side on it would be fine but to stand up to an Iveco an travelling at 30mph head on there isn't going to be a lot that stops that!!!

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southendcivilservant says...
7:09am Wed 10 Oct 12

Just to say, the position of where the barrier was hit would mean that the driver was coming along Southchurch Road from Shoebury, so the Mayhem theory doesn't really fit.

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Basildon.lad.21 says...
5:04pm Wed 10 Oct 12

southendcivilservant wrote:
Just to say, the position of where the barrier was hit would mean that the driver was coming along Southchurch Road from Shoebury, so the Mayhem theory doesn't really fit.
Yeah but he was probably lost, as apparently he comes from Basildon this driver as someone pointed out, went down Southchurch road for some reason, realised he was heading towards Shoebury, spun round, came back and smashed through the railings. Southend 0-1 Basildon! Lets see if a Southend driver can top that in Basildon!

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v.randy says...
8:30pm Wed 10 Oct 12

He's not the first person from Basildon to plunge down onto the Queensway.
But why run away..accidents happen.

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thesouthendone says...
10:08am Thu 11 Oct 12

Basildon.lad.21 wrote:
Audioman wrote:
He came out of a club and was driving home I think he may live in BASILDON !!!
How the hell do you know he lived in Basildon? My opinion is he came out of Monday night Mayhem, after a few too many drinks, and smashed through the barrier. So surprised anyone could actually do that and survive it, let alone run off.
he must have come from Basildump, drunk, no social conscience, no other rational explanation.

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Bugglefluff says...
9:29pm Thu 11 Oct 12

I'm actually amazed at the fact that he plunged 40ft into the underpass, then managed climb out and run off. xD

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