A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary car went through the railings on Ryde Pier shortly before 10:10 BST and was left wedged over the sea. The pier is closed to vehicles and pedestrians, and the Wightlink Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier Head FastCat service has been suspended.
Ryde Pier closure
Wightlink said the car cannot be removed until a structural safety assessment is carried out. That leaves the pier out of use in two ways at once: the walkway is shut, and the vehicle lane is blocked by the car hanging in place after the crash.
The pier also carries the Island Line Train between Ryde Pier Head station and Ryde Esplanade, so the closure affects more than one route through the structure. For anyone trying to cross, the practical result is a complete stop on both the road and foot access while the assessment is done.
Firefighters and the trapped passengers
The force said the car had been responding to an incident and had crashed with another vehicle. It also said no one had been injured.
Firefighters rescued two people who were trapped in the car, which adds a sharper picture than the first account from the force alone. The vehicle was still wedged in place after the crash, and that is the condition Wightlink says must be checked before removal can begin.
Wightlink parking update
Wightlink said customers with vehicles parked at the end of Ryde Pier will not be issued parking tickets while the pier remains closed. It also said: "We apologise for the disruption and will continue to keep customers updated."
For now, the next step is the safety assessment. Until that is completed, the car stays where it is and the pier stays closed, which means passengers and drivers using Ryde Pier have to wait for clearance before normal access can resume.
