Colchester: Pedestrian dies in van accident (From Gazette)

Colchester: Pedestrian dies in van accident

A pedestrian has died after he was involved in an accident with a van on a country road.

Michael Rylands, 60, a patient at Severalls Hospital, Colchester, was walking along Boxted Road when the accident happened last night (Tuesday) just before 7.45pm.

The victim was taken to Colchester General Hospital with severe head injuries but died just after 9pm.

The driver of the small red van, a man from Colchester, was treated for shock at the scene of the accident.

PC Martin Bowditch, of Stanway traffic police, said they were appealing for information.

He said: "The victim was taken to hospital with head injuries but he did not survive.

"It happened on an unlit road about 400 yards past the junction with Nayland Road. The driver was heading towards Boxted.

"There will be an investigation. We need to establish why the victim was on the road at the time."

Police have launched a search for a woman who phoned police before the accident to report a sighting of a pedestrian walking along Boxted Road.

PC Bowditch said: "We do not have any details of the woman apart from that she was driving along the road just before the collision. We would be particularly keen to speak to her or anyone else who may have been in the area at the same."

No one at Severalls was available for comment.

Anyone with information can contact PC Dave Grimshaw on 01206 762512 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

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