Major rescue operation as 4x4 rolls down 300ft hill in South Downs

A driver was seriously injured when he rolled down a steep hill near tourist spot Devil's Dyke on the South Downs Way.

The 26-year-old man had been driving his Land Rover along a bridle path at the top of a hill on Sunday evening when he lost control and fell 300ft down the hill.

He was flown to hospital in Brighton in a coastguard helicopter and was treated for a broken leg and head injuries.

According to Brighton and Hove News, Sussex Police confirmed the driver's injuries were not life threatening.

Two male passengers were treated for minor injuries.

The major rescue operation saw a coastguard helicopter, ambulance, police and firefighters spend over an hour trying to free the three men in the rain.

A South Downs National Park Authority spokesperson told the Daily Mail: "Motorised vehicles are only allowed on Byways Open to All Traffic and carriageways. It is illegal to drive a vehicle on a bridleway."

Emergency staff said the men were lucky to be alive after it rolled down the hill and hit a tree.

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