A BREAKDOWN recovery truck driver died instantly when a people carrier collided with a broken-down car.

The smash, at 11.45pm on Thursday on the eastbound A31 at Poulner Hill near Ringwood, caused major traffic congestion throughout the area until mid-morning yesterday after police

accident investigators closed the road.

The driver of the broken-down black Peugeot 309, a 49-year-old woman from Bournemouth, was taken to Southampton General Hospital suffering a minor head injury.

The driver of the brown Chrysler Voyager, a 61-year-old woman from West Yorkshire, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. She was also taken to Southampton General Hospital for a check-up suffering from neck pains. She was bailed to return to Lyndhurst police station on Thursday, August 14.

Colleagues of the breakdown truck driver, a 58-year-old man from Ferndown, were severely shocked when they heard about his death.

A Boarhunt Recovery spokesman at the former Castle Recovery premises at Cobham Road, Wimborne said: "At the moment we're not making any comment."

It is thought the recovery truck driver had pulled up near the broken-down Peugeot parked on the grass verge.

He was not in his lorry when the accident happened about 300 yards east of the Poulner intersection.

The Peugeot was shunted along the verge beyond the breakdown truck by the force of the collision. Police say the dead man's family had been informed, but he had not been formally identified. Diversions via the A35 were set up while the road closure was in place, leading to severe congestion at Ashley Heath west of Ringwood, and at Lyndhurst.

Anyone who witnessed the collision, or to events leading up to it, should contact Hampshire Police on 0845 045 4545 quoting Operation Faversham.

The A31 was reopened to traffic at 10.30am yesterday.

Chief Insp Roy Bayntun of Hampshire Constabulary Roads Policing Unit justified the lengthy road closure.

He said it was necessary to collect all the evidence, particularly as there were no known witnesses, no homes at the scene and the collision happened late at night.

Officers had to be called out from their homes for the investigation which had to be carried out as a responsibility to the coroner and to the deceased's friends and family.

He said police at the scene were always aware of the impact their actions had on the travelling public, particularly as rush hour approaches, and try to mitigate disruption.