Van driver dies after airlift to hospital

The 43-year-old man has not yet been named by police.

The accident happened at Powdermill Lane, Battle, yesterday.

Fire crews were called just after 8.15am.

The response followed reports that a van heading towards Catsfield had collided with a car outside the Powdermills Hotel and ricocheted into an HGV, which was heading in the opposite direction.

Crews took an hour to cut the van driver free from his vehicle.

He was airlifted to hospital.

The man is said to have lost a lot of blood in the incident.

The HGV driver also had to be cut free and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

The car driver, believed to be a woman in her early 30s, was said to be shaken but uninjured.

The road was closed for several hours.

Fire crews from Battle, Hastings and Herstmonceux attended, along with ambulance crews and police.