Couple's car cliff fall deaths on Isle of Wight 'tragic'

BBC News

2 days ago

Former colleagues of a bus driver who died along with his wife when their car went over a cliff into the sea have said they are "saddened to learn" of the "tragic" incident.Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said it was called at about 19:20 BST on Friday after a Ford Mondeo left came off Alum Bay New Road.The car went over the cliff top and came to rest in the water below, near to The Needles sea stacks on the Isle of Wight.The force said a 67-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman, named locally as former Southern Vectis bus driver John King and his wife Lynn, died in the incident.
Two dogs, both Dachshunds, were in the car and also died, officers said.Richard Tyldsley, Southern Vectis general manager, said: "John King was not an employee of Southern Vectis at the time of his death, having left earlier in the year."John had worked for the company as a network driver for two and half years prior to leaving. "We are saddened to learn of this tragic event and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."
A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said formal identification procedures were ongoing, but next of kin had been notified. A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Tuesday."As part of the ongoing investigation into the incident, which has been referred to the coroner, officers have been carrying out inquiries at an address on Arctic Road, Cowes, to help them to establish what happened," the force added.
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