Cold Norton, near Chelmsford, Essex – A serious collision on Friday, May 15, 2026, has left one driver with potentially life-changing injuries, prompting Essex Police to launch a witness appeal, including for drivers who may have left the scene.
The incident occurred around 5:45am on Lower Burnham Road between Fambridge Road and Rookery Lane in Cold Norton, near North Fambridge. It involved a blue Ford Transit van and a grey Nissan Qashqai.
According to Essex Police, the driver of the Nissan Qashqai (a man in his 40s) sustained life-changing injuries and was taken to hospital. The driver of the van (a man in his 30s) was also injured and hospitalised.
The road was closed for several hours while emergency services and police investigated, causing significant disruption for drivers in the area connecting South Woodham Ferrers and Althorne.
A police spokesman said: "We are investigating a collision in Cold Norton which left one person with life-changing injuries and need anyone who saw it to come forward... We need to speak to the drivers, and any passengers, to find out what they saw."
Anyone with information, dashcam footage, CCTV, or other details is urged to contact Essex Police on 101, quoting incident 140 of May 15, or submit information online via the Essex Police website.
Road safety in rural areas like Cold Norton remains a concern, with Lower Burnham Road seeing previous incidents over the years. Drivers are reminded to take extra care on these stretches, especially during early morning hours.
The incident occurred around 5:45am on Lower Burnham Road between Fambridge Road and Rookery Lane in Cold Norton, near North Fambridge. It involved a blue Ford Transit van and a grey Nissan Qashqai.
According to Essex Police, the driver of the Nissan Qashqai (a man in his 40s) sustained life-changing injuries and was taken to hospital. The driver of the van (a man in his 30s) was also injured and hospitalised.
The road was closed for several hours while emergency services and police investigated, causing significant disruption for drivers in the area connecting South Woodham Ferrers and Althorne.
Police Appeal for Information
Essex Police are actively investigating and have specifically appealed for anyone who witnessed the collision to come forward. Officers believe there are people in two vehicles who saw the incident but did not remain at the scene.A police spokesman said: "We are investigating a collision in Cold Norton which left one person with life-changing injuries and need anyone who saw it to come forward... We need to speak to the drivers, and any passengers, to find out what they saw."
Anyone with information, dashcam footage, CCTV, or other details is urged to contact Essex Police on 101, quoting incident 140 of May 15, or submit information online via the Essex Police website.
Road safety in rural areas like Cold Norton remains a concern, with Lower Burnham Road seeing previous incidents over the years. Drivers are reminded to take extra care on these stretches, especially during early morning hours.
Cold Norton crash
Lower Burnham Road hit and run
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