A motorbike accident has blocked the main Brighton seafront road, with a police helicopter scouring the Rottingdean and Saltdean area after the rider ran off.
The crash on the A259 – by the corner of Marine Drive and Cranleigh Avenue – caused longer than usual rush-hour tailbacks.
Sussex Police said that the accident involved a car and a motorbike and that a National Police Air Service police helicopter had been called to assist officers on the ground in their search.
The first 999 call came in just after 3.40pm.
Sussex Police said: “The NPAS police helicopter currently assisting officers in a search of the motorcycle rider and passenger, who made off from the scene on foot.”
The eastbound A259 was blocked by the crash, with queues back to west of Brighton Marina.
The road was cleared of the wreckage just after 5pm but the queues persisted for well over an hour afterwards.
