Full Breakdown
Police Car Crashes Through Ryde Pier Railings, Prompting Closures and Rescue Operations
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident Overview
On Tuesday, October 13, at approximately 10:09 am BST, a police vehicle belonging to the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary collided with another vehicle and then ploughed through the railings of Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight. The police car became wedged on the pier, while a second vehicle sustained rear-end damage. No injuries were reported by the constabulary.
Emergency Response and Rescue
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service dispatched crews from Ryde and Shanklin. Firefighters rescued the two occupants trapped inside the police car and attended to the second vehicle. Additional emergency resources—including ambulance and coastguard teams—were present on site. Vehicle recovery teams arrived shortly after midday to begin extraction work.
Transport Disruption
The crash forced the immediate closure of Ryde Pier to both vehicles and pedestrians. The Island Line Train, which runs along the pier, was halted, and the Wightlink Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier Head FastCat service was suspended. Wightlink announced that tickets for the FastCat route would be accepted on Hovertravel services and the Fishbourne vehicle ferry on a first-come, first-served basis while the pier remains closed.
Official Statements & Assessment
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed that the police car was responding to an incident when the collision occurred and reiterated that no one was injured. Wightlink issued a statement saying a structural safety assessment will now take place before the vehicle can be safely removed and that customers with vehicles parked at the pier end would not receive parking tickets while the closure persists. The company apologized for the disruption and pledged to keep customers updated.
Verbatim Quote
- “A structural safety assessment will now take place before the vehicle can be safely removed.” — The Wightlink