A 58-year-old man was killed in a horror crash after a car smashed into his broken down vehicle.

It is believed the man from Worthing died after he was hit by his own car in the tragedy on the A27 at Hangleton.

Police said he had got out of his stationary car when another vehicle, also travelling westbound, crashed into it at about 10.20pm on Thursday.

He suffered fatal injuries from the impact and was pronounced dead at the scene.

There is no hard shoulder on that part of the dual carriageway and it is not clear where exactly he stopped his car, as it was moved along the road by the force of the impact.

Those first on the scene said they initially could not find the victim but came across his shoes ten metres away from the crash. His body was later found in the undergrowth alongside the road.

Police said they thought the 58-year-old had called for breakdown recovery before he was hit.

A spokesman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue said the victim had got out of his car but was struck by it in the collision.

The road was closed for several hours whilst officers from Sussex Police Forensic Collision Investigation and Reconstruction Unit completed their investigation.

Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA, advised that if a driver breaks down on a dual carriageway without a hard shoulder they should put their hazard lights on and then walk far away from it.

If possible drivers should get behind a barrier or into an adjoining field.

Mr Howard added that people should also pay attention to where the car would travel to if it was hit and avoid standing there.

The driver of the second car, a 35-year-old man from Brighton, was treated at Worthing Hospital for minor injuries.

He was later arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact Sussex Police on 0845 607099 quoting Operation Hillmead.