A PEDESTRIAN is in hospital with life-threatening head injuries after being hit by a lorry in an accident this morning.

The crash happened at 7.55am on the A259 Kingsway in Hove at the junction with Osborne Villas.

A police spokesman said the Kingsway is closed eastbound while emergency services attend the scene.

The accident is being treated as potentially serious.

Delays to motorists are expected and the delays are causing queues between Portslade and Hove. 

Firefighters are on the scene and there are four police cars and a number of officers.

A police drone is being used to capture pictures of the scene from the air. 

It is understood the man has already been taken to hospital.

There are heavy traffic delays, particularly by the King Alfred Centre, and a diversion in place via Church Road which leads into New Church Road. 

The road is now clear. 

The 34-year-old Swedish man, believed to be visiting the UK,  was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and was expected to be transferred to the specialist Hurstwood Park Hospital in Haywards Heath, according to police.

The driver of the Ford Transit scaffold truck that was involved was uninjured and has not been arrested.

The truck belongs to Prodger and Sons Scaffolding and a company spokesman said: “We are working with police after the incident.”

Sergeant Mark Baker said: "We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident. In particular, we'd like to speak to a man in his mid-20s who went into the nearby Texaco garage soon after and while buying a paper, told the assistant that he'd seen it happen. He is slim, was wearing a grey hooded top and could have vital information.

"Please email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting Operation Tench.

"I'd like to thank users of the A259 for their patience while we dealt with this very serious incident. We did have to close the eastbound carriageway around the scene, but we were able to set up a contraflow in the other carriageway to keep traffic flowing. It was fully reopened around 10.15am."