Police appeal after ambulance overturns on A23 at Pease Pottage
Sussex Police are appealing for witnesses after a private ambulance overturned and a grey Mercedes SUV caught fire in a collision on the A23 northbound at Pease Pottage on Saturday, 27 June 2026. The crash blocked the M23 near Gatwick for hours, but no one was seriously injured and the ambulance was not carrying a patient.
Key Takeaways
- A private ambulance and a grey Mercedes SUV collided on the A23 at Pease Pottage just after 7.30am on 27 June 2026.
- The ambulance rolled onto its roof and the Mercedes caught fire; Sussex Police confirmed no serious injuries and no patient aboard the ambulance.
- The M23 northbound at Junction 11 near Crawley was closed for hours, with traffic returning to normal by around midday.
- Police want witnesses who saw the grey Mercedes SUV being driven from Brighton before the crash, plus anyone with dashcam footage.
- Contact Sussex Police at collision.appeal@sussex.police.uk, quoting serial 336 of 27/06.
What Happened on the A23 at Pease Pottage?
The collision took place shortly after 7.30am on Saturday, 27 June 2026, on the A23 northbound carriageway at Pease Pottage in West Sussex. According to Sussex Police, the incident involved a private ambulance and a Mercedes SUV.
Following the impact, the ambulance rolled onto its roof. The Mercedes SUV caught fire in the aftermath. Images shared by traffic agencies showed the overturned ambulance and disruption across the northbound route near Junction 11 of the M23 at Crawley, close to Gatwick Airport.
Sussex Police confirmed that no one was seriously injured. The force also stated that there was not a patient in the ambulance at the time of the collision. SussexWorld reported that no one was taken to hospital following the incident.
Why Did the M23 Close Near Crawley and Gatwick?
The crash site sits at a major junction where the A23 meets the M23, a key corridor for drivers heading to Crawley, Gatwick Airport, and the wider South East. The northbound M23 at Junction 11 was blocked for several hours while emergency services managed the scene and recovery teams cleared the wreckage.
Traffic built up through the morning, with queuing and slow-moving vehicles reported near Gatwick Airport. Drivers on the A23 northbound between Handcross and Junction 11 faced significant delays. SussexWorld noted that motorists were advised to allow extra time for journeys through the area.
By around 12pm, Sussex Police and traffic reports indicated the road had reopened as normal. The partial reopening of the A23 northbound carriageway came roughly three hours after the initial collision, ending a morning of major disruption on one of Sussex's busiest routes.
What Is Sussex Police Asking Witnesses to Report?
Sussex Police have launched a witness appeal as part of their investigation into how the private ambulance and the Mercedes SUV came to collide. Officers are particularly interested in anyone who saw a grey Mercedes SUV being driven from Brighton ahead of the crash.
The force is also asking anyone with dashcam, mobile phone, or CCTV footage of the incident—or of the Mercedes SUV's movements before the collision—to come forward. Witness accounts and video evidence could help investigators reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the ambulance overturning on the A23.
Anyone with information is asked to email collision.appeal@sussex.police.uk, quoting serial 336 of 27/06. Sussex Police published the appeal on their official news page, and the details were corroborated by Sussex Police's witness appeal and reporting from Yahoo News UK.
How Could a Motorway Closure Near Gatwick Affect Drivers Financially?
Major closures on routes like the M23 and A23 carry costs that extend well beyond the immediate emergency. Commuters miss appointments, delivery drivers burn fuel in stationary queues, and airport-bound travellers risk missed flights when traffic stalls near Gatwick. For anyone who relies on predictable travel times for work or side income, a three-hour blockage can translate into lost earnings in a single morning.
Incidents involving emergency vehicles also sharpen questions about insurance, vehicle recovery, and liability. Even when no one is seriously hurt, overturned ambulances and fire-damaged cars trigger complex claims processes. Drivers who invest in dashcam technology often find that footage pays for itself when it supports insurance disputes or, as in this case, assists a police investigation.
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What Do We Know About the Vehicles Involved?
Sussex Police identified the ambulance involved as a private ambulance, not an NHS emergency response vehicle on an active call. The absence of a patient aboard has been confirmed by the force, which reduces the medical urgency of the scene but does not lessen the seriousness of the road safety investigation.
The second vehicle was described as a Mercedes SUV, specifically a grey model that witnesses may have seen travelling from Brighton before the collision at Pease Pottage. Yahoo News UK reported that a car caught fire following the crash, consistent with Sussex Police's account that the Mercedes SUV ignited after the impact.
Recovery operations were underway through the morning as crews worked to remove the overturned ambulance and the fire-damaged SUV from the carriageway. Highways England imagery circulated in media coverage showed the scale of the blockage on the northbound M23.
What Should Motorists Know Before Travelling This Route?
Although the A23 and M23 near Pease Pottage have reopened, the police investigation remains active. Drivers who regularly use this stretch—whether for airport runs, commuting to Crawley, or travelling between Brighton and London—should stay alert to any further updates from Sussex Police.
Anyone who was in the area on the morning of 27 June and has not yet contacted officers should review any dashcam recordings from around 7.30am. Even partial footage of the grey Mercedes SUV's journey from Brighton could prove valuable to investigators trying to understand what led to the ambulance overturning.
Saturday morning collisions on high-speed dual carriageways serve as a reminder that major routes near Gatwick carry heavy traffic volumes and limited margin for error. Sussex Police's appeal ensures that the public can still contribute to the inquiry even after the road has returned to normal.