THE POLICE watchdog is investigating Sussex Police's handling of a case in which a pedestrian died when he was hit by a car.

Michael Smith, 64, was hit on the A284 Lyminster Road, Wick, on the evening of Good Friday.

Police had received a call at about 5.45pm that evening to say Mr Smith was on the side of the road having stumbled into a fence.

But the call was graded for a prompt rather than urgent response with officers busy elsewhere, police said at the time.

Then at about 7.15pm emergency services were called to Mr Smith lying on the carriageway, near to where he had been seen earlier, having been hit by a car.

The dad-of-three, from Warningcamp, near Arundel, been seriously injured and died on the way to hospital.

A Kia Picanto being driven south by a 75-year-old man from Littlehampton, stopped at the scene.

The force referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) over the case, and the watchdog has now decided to do its own investigation.

An IPCC spokesman told The Argus last week the investigation was in its very early stages.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "This incident was referred to the IPCC on March 26. Referral is mandatory in all cases involving death or serious injury when police have been present at any stage.

"They have advised us that they are undertaking an independent investigation into the incident and we are therefore not in a position to make further comment."

In a statement at the time Mr Smith's family said they had "nothing but praise" for the emergency services.

They said: “We and the police still have a million unanswered questions of this tragic accident that can only be resolved on completion of the investigations by the Scientific Forensic Team and pathologists, so we ask that people stop surmising their own stories.

“Our family are not the only ones affected and we would like to send our thanks and love to the police, air ambulance, paramedics and bystanders who will also be traumatised by this incident.

“As a family we have nothing but praise for all involved and trust that everything that could have been done, was."