Road access on Ryde pier is blocked by a crashed police car (13/10)

DelW · Tuesday at 12:38

The road replacement trains might be needed again today, as road access up the pier is blocked by a crashed police car. It looks like the foot pier is closed as well. Currently Wightlink ferries are suspended though.

Ryde Pier closed after police car crashes through barrier

We're working to bring you the latest following a police car crash on Ryde Pier today (Tuesday, October 13).

www.dailyecho.co.uk

Ryde Pier closed after police car crash on Isle of Wight
Hampshire and IW Constabulary has confirmed the incident, which happened around 10.09am this morning, involved two vehicles, including a police car responding to an incident.

No one has been injured, the force said.
A structural engineer is travelling to the scene from the mainland.
The crashed police car will not be winched until the engineer has inspected the pier.

Updated to add: the police car (which had been overhanging the water) was recovered to the pier in mid afternoon, following which ferry services resumed.

RailUK Forums

Russel · Wednesday at 21:37

DelW said:
The road replacement trains might be needed again today, as road access up the pier is blocked by a crashed police car. It looks like the foot pier is closed as well. Currently Wightlink ferries are suspended though.

Ryde Pier closed after police car crashes through barrier

We're working to bring you the latest following a police car crash on Ryde Pier today (Tuesday, October 13).

www.dailyecho.co.uk

Updated to add: the police car (which had been overhanging the water) was recovered to the pier in mid afternoon, following which ferry services resumed.

Just... how??

Towers · Wednesday at 23:21

Russel said:
Just... how??

It rather looks as though the occupant(s) were very fortunate that the adjacent pedestrian pier is there, as it appears to have broken their fall!

DelW · Wednesday at 23:22

Russel said:
Just... how??

It does seem strange. According to the updated version of the report (linked above)

A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has confirmed the vehicle involved in the collision was heading to an indecent exposure incident on Wallace Court in Newport at the time.

which implies that the nearest police car to Newport was at Pier Head at the time.

Hampshire and IW Constabulary has confirmed the incident, which happened around 10.09am this morning, involved two vehicles, including a police car responding to an incident.

Another vehicle has sustained rear end damage at the scene.

Bletchleyite · Wednesday at 23:23

DelW said:
It does seem strange. According to the updated version of the report (linked above)

which implies that the nearest police car to Newport was at Pier Head at the time.

Doesn't seem entirely improbable. It's not quite the same but similar I suspect in terms of crime levels, but I was told once that there was only one car on duty for the whole of the Lake District most evenings as there's basically no crime.

Jimini · Thursday at 00:51

Bletchleyite said:
Doesn't seem entirely improbable. It's not quite the same but similar I suspect in terms of crime levels, but I was told once that there was only one car on duty for the whole of the Lake District most evenings as there's basically no crime.

You've never witnessed a night out in Ryde or Newport then... it can be quite lively :lol:

D6130 · Thursday at 07:35

Jimini said:
You've never witnessed a night out in Ryde or Newport then... it can be quite lively

Not to mention Cowes, when it's full of drunken Hooray Henries and Henrietta's during the yachting week. o_O

Towers · Thursday at 10:48

Rear end damage to the other vehicle rather suggests that the police car might have come spanking up the pier a little keenly, and ‘come across’ another vehicle presumably doing the 10mph limit - which I seem to recall is enforced by cameras, I think? - and somehow perhaps not quite anticipated their next steps? Collision, slippery wooden deck, and oh dear…

Again, it very much looks that the officer or officers escaped lightly from what could easily have been their car falling into the sea. Scary.

Sun Chariot · Thursday at 11:24

The BBC News branded helicopter flew low over our house and, a little later, flew back. When my wife saw the info and photo on X, we put 2 and 2 together.

norbitonflyer · Thursday at 17:22

Towers said:
Rear end damage to the other vehicle rather suggests that the police car might have come spanking up the pier a little keenly, and ‘come across’ another vehicle presumably doing the 10mph limit - which I seem to recall is enforced by cameras, I think? - and somehow perhaps not quite anticipated their next steps? Collision, slippery wooden deck, and oh dear…

The other vehicle appears to be a taxi. In one of the pictures there appears to be a logo or other sign on the rear passenger door - partially obscured by a railing but similar to the one on this IoW taxi

Towers · Thursday at 18:03

norbitonflyer said:
The other vehicle appears to be a taxi. In one of the pictures there appears to be a logo or other sign on the rear passenger door - partially obscured by a railing but similar to the one on this IoW taxi

Yes I noticed that too. Which may mean - continuing the armchair sleuth theme! - that the driver was particularly unwilling to accelerate beyond the 10mph limit even with a lit up police behind them trying to get off of the pier in a hurry, being very aware as they would be that there are cameras enforcing it and potential fines payable for going too fast!

Forty29 · 2026-10-17T19:10:06+0100

The slippery deck on the pier would be like driving on ice if coming across the slower car and having to break heavily if that's what happened. If the ferry wasn't running not much point in running the trains though couldn't think why they had to if not interfering with the line.

zero · 2026-10-17T21:16:03+0100

Forty29 said:
If the ferry wasn't running not much point in running the trains though couldn't think why they had to if not interfering with the line.

Is reversing at Esplanade possible / allowed?

DelW · 2026-10-17T22:25:17+0100

zero said:
Is reversing at Esplanade possible / allowed?

There's only a single platform in use, so it's hard to see why not. The old down platform (and line) has been out of use for many years. IIRC on recent timetables alternate trains have terminated at Esplanade and not run to Pier Head.

AndrewE · 2026-10-18T09:10:24+0100

Forty29 said:
The slippery deck on the pier would be like driving on ice if coming across the slower car and having to break heavily if that's what happened. If the ferry wasn't running not much point in running the trains though couldn't think why they had to if not interfering with the line.

Why wasn't the ferry running? I assumed that because the trains had been withdrawn (to save the blushes of the police?) no pax could reach the boats...

cav1975 · 2026-10-18T09:51:41+0100

AndrewE said:
Why wasn't the ferry running? I assumed that because the trains had been withdrawn (to save the blushes of the police?) no pax could reach the boats...

I read somewhere that the power cable to the pier head was at risk of being severed by the crashed car.

AndrewE · 2026-10-18T09:56:39+0100

cav1975 said:
I read somewhere that the power cable to the pier head was at risk of being severed by the crashed car.

That's interesting, because when we saw the new cable being installed it was under the walkway (with joints being made through hatches in the wood.) There were other cables festooned around though, so I guess there could have been some exposed vulnerable bits of that.

cav1975 · 2026-10-18T11:23:35+0100

AndrewE said:
That's interesting, because when we saw the new cable being installed it was under the walkway (with joints being made through hatches in the wood.) There were other cables festooned around though, so I guess there could have been some exposed vulnerable bits of that.

There are images online such as this one showing the car having crashed through the road pier barrier with its fall into the sea only being broken by the walkway pier. Hence the concern, I surmise.

Dramatic Ryde Pier police car crash won't be referred to watchdog

Police will not refer themselves to an independent watchdog after a force car crashed through railings and was left teetering over the edge of Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight.

www.countypress.co.uk

AndrewE · 2026-10-18T12:39:41+0100

cav1975 said:
There are images online such as this one showing the car having crashed through the road pier barrier with its fall into the sea only being broken by the walkway pier. Hence the concern, I surmise.

Dramatic Ryde Pier police car crash won't be referred to watchdog

Police will not refer themselves to an independent watchdog after a force car crashed through railings and was left teetering over the edge of Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight.

www.countypress.co.uk

I am saying that as all 3 piers are independent structures I don't see why trains and boats had to stop running. However if the power to the pier head really was in jeopardy then that would be a valid reason.

Egg Centric · 2026-10-18T13:56:03+0100

Towers said:
Yes I noticed that too. Which may mean - continuing the armchair sleuth theme! - that the driver was particularly unwilling to accelerate beyond the 10mph limit even with a lit up police behind them trying to get off of the pier in a hurry, being very aware as they would be that there are cameras enforcing it and potential fines payable for going too fast!

Doesn't mean the police couldn't overtake, there's plenty of room for it. And the taxi isn't positioned in a weird location, so I'm not going to fault it at all. I'm guessing it'll be the police driver not appreciating how little grip you have on wood (understandable really, how often do you drive hard on wood? I certainly never have, I know intellectually it'll be slippy but no feel for just how much)

Towers · 2026-10-18T16:36:59+0100

Egg Centric said:
Doesn't mean the police couldn't overtake, there's plenty of room for it. And the taxi isn't positioned in a weird location, so I'm not going to fault it at all. I'm guessing it'll be the police driver not appreciating how little grip you have on wood (understandable really, how often do you drive hard on wood? I certainly never have, I know intellectually it'll be slippy but no feel for just how much)

Not blaming the cabbie at all, I was merely suggesting that being a taxi driver they are perhaps less likely to be willing or feel obliged to exceed the speed limit in order to get out of the way, as a less confident or familiar driver might have done!

Road access on Ryde pier is blocked by a crashed police car (13/10)

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Ryde Pier closed after police car crash on Isle of Wight