Dover, United Kingdom— A driver died Wednesday after a single-vehicle crash near the coastal highway in southeast England, the Transport Authority confirmed. The road was shut for five hours.
The crash happened around 6:30 a.m. on the A20 stretch overlooking the Channel. Police said the car, a silver hatchback, was traveling westbound when it left the carriageway. It struck a steel barrier, rolled, and came to rest in scrub below the road.
Officers from Kent Police and National Highways arrived to find the vehicle on its roof. The driver was the sole occupant. Paramedics from South East Coast Ambulance pronounced the person dead inside the wreckage. No other vehicles were involved.
The Transport Authority said the coastal section was wet from overnight rain. The barrier showed a fresh impact mark about 40 meters long. Tyre marks started in the nearside lane and veered sharply toward the verge. Investigators have not yet confirmed speed as a factor.
Traffic was diverted through Dover town centre. Queues built toward the port as lorries were held. A highways crew inspected the barrier for structural failure. One lane remained closed until midday for recovery of the car.
A spokesperson for Kent Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious. The force's serious collision unit took measurements and drone photos. They are appealing for dashcam footage from vehicles that passed between 6:15 and 6:45 a.m.
Local residents said the bend near the cliffs has seen several off-road crashes. The road drops toward the sea and catches crosswinds. Last winter a lorry overturned at a nearby layby. The council said it had added reflective posts this year.
The victim has not been named pending family notification. Police said a post-mortem will be held and a file prepared for the coroner. The car was removed to a secure compound for mechanical inspection.
The carriageway reopened fully after 12:30 p.m. after debris was cleared and the barrier was made safe.
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