Man in His 30s Dies After Being Hit by Ambulance on A19 in 'Hugely Tragic' Incident, Officials Say

A man in his 30s died after being struck by an ambulance on the A19 near Sunderland early on Sunday, 15 November 2026. Northumbria Police said the ambulance was carrying a patient and travelling northbound without its blue lights activated when the collision occurred shortly after 2am.

The incident happened between the A1018 and A690 junctions. Emergency services attended, but the pedestrian died at the scene despite efforts to save him. His next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from police.

The incident prompted officers to close the A19 in both directions for several hours while emergency crews responded and initial enquiries were carried out. The road subsequently reopened. Investigators have not publicly established how the collision occurred.

Ambulance Crew Was Transporting Patient Before A19 Collision

The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) confirmed that one of its crews was taking a patient and the patient's partner to a nearby hospital. Police said nobody travelling in the ambulance was injured.

The driver, a man in his 40s, remained at the scene to assist officers with their enquiries. Police have not announced any charges or made a public finding of fault.

Following the collision, NEAS dispatched additional resources to the scene. The patient and their partner were transferred to another ambulance and taken to hospital for further treatment, the service said.

Paramedics also attended to the pedestrian, who died despite the efforts of the crews who responded. The ambulance service confirmed his death at the scene.

'This is a hugely tragic incident for all involved,' an NEAS spokesperson said in a statement issued on Sunday. The service expressed its condolences to the man's loved ones and said it would cooperate with the police investigation.

Police confirmed that the ambulance was not using blue lights when the collision occurred. However, this does not establish how the crash happened or whether anyone was responsible. No explanation has been confirmed for the pedestrian's presence on the carriageway.

Northumbria Police Appeal for A19 Dashcam Footage

Northumbria Police's Roads Policing Unit is investigating and has asked anyone who witnessed the collision to come forward. Officers are particularly interested in CCTV or dashcam footage showing the collision or events immediately before the impact.

Sgt Ben Rutherford said the force's thoughts were with the family and loved ones of the man who died. He said officers would continue to support them during an extremely difficult time.

Rutherford said investigators had already conducted enquiries but wanted to hear from anyone who might be able to help. Information that initially seems insignificant may still assist officers in establishing the sequence of events.

Such information 'could prove key to our investigation and help provide answers for the man's loved ones', he said. The appeal includes motorists with recordings they have not yet reviewed.

Anyone with relevant information can contact Northumbria Police through its website's live chat or reporting forms, or by sending the force a direct message on social media. Witnesses should quote reference NP-20261115-0086.

The investigation remains focused on establishing the circumstances of the collision, while police continue to seek accounts and footage from the early hours of Sunday.