A DORSET policeman died at the wheel of the car that smashed into a Highcliffe home on Sunday.

An elderly man asleep in the property on the corner of Lymington Road and Curzon Way survived the collision despite his bed being shunted into the corner of the room by the impact.

His wife, a care worker, was on a night shift in a Bournemouth nursing home at the time.



Dorset Police confirmed the officer was DC Ian James Morton, 32, from New Milton.

He is understood to have been staying on the Isle of Wight on Saturday night before catching the 4.40am ferry from Yarmouth to Lymington.

DC Morton was driving to work in Bournemouth when the accident happened in heavy rain.

Chief Constable Martin Baker said the news “was a great shock to the whole force and our thoughts are very much with his family and friends at this difficult time”.

“Ian will be sorely missed by his many friends and colleagues in the force. I would like to pay tribute to him for the hard work, professionalism and dedication he showed throughout his career.”

The chief constable said “the only positive note to come out of this tragedy is that no one else sustained any injury”.

The tragedy happened 100 yards west of a new chicane in the A337, recently constructed as part of a pedestrian refuge scheme.

The householder, retired industrial heating engineer Peter Tanswell, 80, miraculously suffered just two minor scratches to his feet. He said: “It was a freak accident.

“But I’m certain it will happen again unless they do alterations to that refuge.”

He said he had been previously blinded by the lights of oncoming cars there and had heard of another near miss since the refuge had been installed.

He said the car ended upright inside the bedroom, shifting his bed four feet and sending a heavy wardrobe door flying over him.

His wife Keren, 75, said: “Everyone thinks he was lucky to escape. If it had been another six inches, the car would have been right on top of him.”

Mr Tanswell was sound asleep when it happened. At first he thought a shelf had fallen down.

“I sat up in bed and the window had completely gone,” he said.

He and his wife said their hearts went out to the police officer’s parents who were “very traumatised” by the death.

They are staying with their son Craig and his family at Moordown until they get rented accommodation arranged.

Neighbours described the crash as “a tragedy”.

Christina Brown said: “We are very sorry for his family.”

Marc Govier of nearby Silver Lake Construction was shoring up the property. He said Mr Tanswell was “very, very lucky”.

Cllr Alan Griffiths, leader of Christchurch Borough Council, said: “It’s wrong for us to speculate on the cause of the accident until a proper investigation has been conducted.

“The new pedestrian refuge was put in following requests from local residents who wanted a safer way to cross the busy road.”