A pedestrian has died following a collision with a heavy goods vehicle on a major Staffordshire road this morning, casting a shadow over New Year's Eve.
Emergency Response to Fatal Collision
Staffordshire Police were called to the A5 Watling Street, near Cannock, at 11am on Wednesday 31 December following reports of a serious incident. The collision involved a lorry and a male pedestrian.
Emergency services, including crews from West Midlands Ambulance Service, the air ambulance, and firefighters from both Staffordshire and West Midlands fire services, rushed to the scene. Despite their efforts, paramedics pronounced the man dead shortly after arrival.
Road Closure and Police Appeal
The major route was closed in both directions to allow emergency services to work and for initial investigations to take place. The closure caused significant disruption but the road was scheduled to reopen later in the afternoon.
In an official statement, a spokesperson for Staffordshire Police confirmed: "Sadly, the pedestrian, a man, was pronounced dead by paramedics a short time later. His next of kin have been informed and they are being supported by specially-trained officers at this difficult time."
The force confirmed that the lorry driver was not injured in the incident.
Investigation Underway
Police are now conducting a full investigation into the circumstances that led to the fatal crash. They have issued a direct appeal to the public for assistance.
Officers are urging anyone who witnessed the collision, or who may have captured relevant dashcam footage of the area around the time of the incident, to come forward. Witnesses are asked to contact Staffordshire Police by calling 101 or using the Live Chat function on the force's website, quoting incident number 205 of 31 December.
Those with footage can also email collision investigators directly at ciu@staffordshire.police.uk.
