A groom was arrested on suspicion of drunkenly ploughing into a friend just four hours before he was set to walk down the aisle.
Husband-to-be James Nutbrown, 27, had to be collected from the police cells by his best man, named locally as Matt Swann, after reportedly ramming the van he was driving into a friend at 8am on Saturday.
As his bride-to-be, named locally as Shelly, got ready for her big day and reception, at a rugby club in Hove, her groom-in-waiting, having reportedly been out the night before, is alleged to have driven along the one-way A259 in Newhaven.
At the junction of Meeching Road, near the Co-op, he reportedly smashed into a friend, a 47-year-old man.
He was taken into custody at 9.05am and this man was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton with spinal injuries. Police are treating it as a “serious injury collision”.
Paramedics and police attended the incident.
Witnesses to the aftermath of the crash said they saw a man in a neck-brace lying on a back-board.
Yesterday it was confirmed the new Mr and Mrs Nutbrown had got married.
The pair were on honeymoon until this evening.
But Mrs Nutbrown’s son, Kyle Young, 18, a college student, confirmed his new stepfather had been arrested.
He said: “The police apparently rushed him through so he could get married in time.
“He has not explained what happened but I know he was arrested.
“The wedding went ahead – at a register office in Brighton – and there was a reception afterwards in Hove.”
He said his mother and step-father had been together ten years.
A woman, who was on her way to work who witnessed the collision, said: “Traffic was down to one lane and a man was lying on the ground.
“He was just lying in the middle of the road.
“There was a stretcher and an ambulance – he was not moving and it looked pretty bad.”
Peter Carden, 19, who works at The Bridge Pub, Newhaven, added: “Lots of people came in and they were all talking about the crash outside – a man lying on a board.
“But I didn’t know that the person who was meant to have hit him was getting married.
“I wonder if he got to the church.”
Sussex Police said they did not know if the groom, from Peacehaven, managed to get married on Saturday.
Sergeant Dan Eagles said on Twitter: “Peacehaven man arrested drink-driving, he is meant to get married at 12pm.
“Best man just arrived to collect groom.
“Not one of the duties you expect when being best man.
"I’m getting married in the morning.....oh no I’m sitting in a cell.”
A Sussex Police spokesman said: “At 8am on Saturday police were called to a collision involving a pedestrian and a VW Crafter van on the A259 Southway at Newhaven.
“The pedestrian was taken to hospital with spinal injuries.
“James Nutbrown, of Cliff Park Close, Peacehaven, has been charged with driving a vehicle while over the prescribed limit, and has been released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on August 29.”
Police are appealing for witnesses regarding the collision and members of the public are requested to contact Sussex Police quoting CAD 0408 17/08/2013 or via collision.appeal.sussex.pnn.police.uk.
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