Man dies after becoming trapped in car during flooding

A man has died in Somerset after becoming trapped in his car in flood water.

The motorist’s vehicle became trapped under a bridge near to a ford in Stoke at 8.50pm last night.

Fire crews and police attended the scene and the man was found in the car and pronounced dead.

Officials were still working to identify the driver and his next of kin this morning after another night of torrential downpours which have so far left thousands of homes without power and more than 100 people evacuated as winds reached more than 86mph.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: “The vehicle is still stuck there at the moment, and so we are preserving the scene until the water has died down and it is safe to retrieve the car.

“When daylight comes, they will look to remove it.”

An Avon Fire and Rescue Service spokesman added thatthe man declared dead in an ambulance en route to hospital: “Tragically we have had one fatality.

“We were called to reports of a car submerged in water in Pilgrims Way, in Chew Stoke, just off the main road.

“Emergency services attended and several members of the Avon Fire and Rescue swift water rescue team, who are based at Bedminster fire station, went into the water.

“They recovered a man from the vehicle, he was then left in the care of paramedics and I understand that while being taken to hospital he was declared dead en route.

“The coroner has been informed and there will be a full investigation.”