A PEDESTRIAN has died after being hit by a BMW on the A27.

Police were alerted to a crash at 6.05am this morning involving a car and a pedestrian on the A27 Old Shoreham Road, Lancing.

The male pedestrian - 59-year-old man from Sompting - was left with critical injuries.

He was treated by paramedics but sadly died at the scene.

The driver of a black BMW, a 58-year-old man from Climping, suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital.

He was later arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and currently remains in police custody.

The A27 was closed while the scene was examined. 

The collsion was 500 metres east of the Lancing Manor Roundabout and led to the A27 being closed to eastbound traffic between the roundabout and the A283 Steyning interchange. 

Motorists were being diverted via the A2025 Grinstead Lane to join the A259 Brighton Road at South Lancing, crossing the River Adur before returning to the A27 via the A283 Old Shoreham Road and Steyning Road. There is heavy congestion.

Sergeant Alan Spicer from the Sussex Police Serious Collision Investigation team said: "We are appealing for anyone who was on that stretch of the A27 at around 6am on Thursday morning and who saw what happened to contact us."

Anyone who saw the collision to email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk or phone 101, quoting Operation Anwick.