AN ELDERLY man died after being trapped under a BT van in a horrific road crash.

Emergency services were called to the scene on Spencer Road in New Milton shortly after 10.30am following a collision between a white Vauxhall BT Openreach van and a male pedestrian.

Speaking at the scene, Sergeant Darren Ord, of the serious collision investigation unit, Eastleigh, confirmed a man had died and that the road would remain closed for several hours while forensics officers investigated.

“We have been making door-to-door inquiries and anybody who saw anything should contact me,” he said.

“We are currently interviewing the driver at the police station.”

A resident of the road, who did not want to be named, said he saw police cars on the street and rushed out to see what was going on.

“They asked me if I could go back inside,” he added.

“Then fire crews arrived and I saw them use a jack to lift the van so they could retrieve the man from under it.”

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said a crew was sent to the scene.

He added: “We were called to reports of an elderly man trapped under a van. Sadly there was nothing we could do and he was dead on arrival.”

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said two crews from New Milton were sent to the incident and removed the man from under the vehicle.

Southampton Coroner’s Office confirmed the case had been referred to them and that an inquest would be opened in due course. 

A spokesperson for BT Openreach said: "As you would expect we are taking this tragic incident very seriously and are carrying out a full investigation."