A PEDESTRIAN was hit by an ambulance on a busy road.

The woman was struck on the A270 Lewes Road yesterday evening and taken to hospital with head injuries after the crash.

The road was closed for more than an hour as police and ambulance crews attended the incident.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “Emergency services were called to a report of an ambulance being in collision with a pedestrian in Lewes Road, near the junction of Highway, Brighton, yesterday at 5.14pm.

“The woman suffered head injuries and was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

“The ambulance driver was unhurt. The road was closed for an hour while the incident was being dealt with.”

South East Coast Ambulance Service said the vehicle did not belong to them, but was a private ambulance.

A spokesman said: “The crash involved a patient transport service.

“We came across the incident in Lewes Road at about 5.15pm.

“We had one ambulance and a car in attendance.

“A female pedestrian, who was reportedly hit by a the vehicle, was treated at the scene before being taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital with injuries including a head injury.”

A witness who was catching a bus near the scene of the crash described traffic at a standstill.

He said: “I saw about three or four buses with their hazard lights on, and then there were a few police cars with their lights on too.”

Another passerby said:”At about 5.40pm there were three police cars and a couple of ambulances down there.

“It must have been a serious crash.

“I couldn’t see any damaged cars around but police seemed to be interviewing people.”