A VAN driver sadly died after a crash near Bere Regis yesterday (December 11).

The incident happened at 5.49pm on the A31 at Winterborne Zelston.

Dorset Police officers and the ambulance service attended, but the driver of a white Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van – a man in his 50s and from Camarthenshire in Wales – was pronounced dead at the scene.

His next of kin have been informed and the coroner was notified, police said.

The road was closed while emergency services attended the scene and reopened at around 9pm.

PC Paul Wilson, of the Roads Policing Team, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who tragically died in this collision.

“We are investigating the circumstances of the incident to establish what exactly happened. It appears that the van was travelling from the direction of Bere Regis toward Corfe Mullen when it came off the road.

“I am appealing for any witnesses to the collision who have not already spoken to police to please come forward.

“Also, I would urge anyone who was driving on the relevant stretch of the A31 during the time leading up to the incident to please review any available dashcam footage to see if they have captured anything that could help our enquiries.

“Finally, I would like to thank motorists for their patience and understanding while the road closures were in place.”

Anyone with information about the crash should contact Dorset Police via www.dorset.police.uk, by email to scit@dorset.pnn.police.uk, or by calling 101, quoting incident number 55230194336.