Police appeal for witnesses after child dies in Essex lorry crash

Detectives are appealing for witnesses after a child died following a collision with a lorry on Epping Road in Chipping Ongar, Essex. The crash happened at about 16:40 BST on Friday, July 11, 2026, on a road that links Chipping Ongar with North Weald Bassett.

The child suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where the child later died. Police have not released the child’s age, and specialist officers have been supporting the family as they cope with the loss.

Officers arrested the lorry’s 48-year-old driver, who is from Derbyshire, at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He was later released on bail until September 2026 while the investigation continued.

Epping Road was closed after the collision, disrupting traffic on a stretch used by local vehicles moving between nearby communities. The case now turns on what happened in the moments before impact, including whether anyone saw the lorry, the child, or other vehicles in the area around the time of the crash.

Police are asking anyone who was driving in the vicinity to get in touch, particularly if they captured dash-cam footage. Investigators are also seeking anyone who saw the collision or noticed anything relevant on Epping Road before or after 16:40 BST.

The death has placed fresh focus on the risks heavy vehicles pose on roads that carry both local traffic and through-traffic. On corridors like Epping Road, a fatal crash can leave police not only tracing the movements of a single lorry and driver, but also piecing together whether road layout, speed, visibility or vehicle routing contributed to the outcome.