The mangled wreckage of a white van lay scattered on the rocks below Friar’s Bay in Peacehaven on Wednesday afternoon, after a plunge that killed the driver. His body was found inside the vehicle on the beach at about 4.30pm, following reports that a van had gone over the cliff edge.
Sussex Police said the driver, a man yet to be formally identified, was sadly found deceased. The force is now investigating the full circumstances of the incident, which saw the van fall around 160ft onto the shoreline below. The coroner’s officer has been informed.
“A man died after his van plunged 160ft off a cliff at Friar's Bay, Peacehaven, on Wednesday.”
Lewes District Council urged the public to avoid the area, particularly the beach. ‘LDC officers are on site supporting,’ the council said in a statement, adding that more details would be shared soon.
Police received the initial report of the van going over the cliff edge at Peacehaven at 4.30pm on Wednesday, 1 July. The sudden tragedy has left local residents shaken, with the beauty spot now cordoned off as investigators work to piece together what led to the fatal descent.