An Amazon delivery van became stuck in a ditch in Oxfordshire, only for police to discover it had been abandoned and the driver had fled.
Thames Valley Police teams for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse responded to a call to assist a driver who had got their vehicle stuck earlier this week.
When officers arrived, the driver had left the scene and abandoned the white van they were driving, with its back wheels stuck in a ditch and the front of the vehicle blocking the road.
Police said subsequent checks revealed the vehicle to be an Amazon delivery van.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Officers were called to assist a driver who had somehow managed to position their vehicle half in a ditch – an impressive manoeuvre, but certainly not in line with the Highway Code.
“Before police could offer any help, the driver decided not to stick around, leaving the scene entirely.
“On closer inspection, officers identified the vehicle as an Amazon delivery van, and made contact with the relevant parties.
The van was discovered by police abandoned on the roadside
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Thames Valley Police
“So, if anyone was wondering why their parcel hadn’t arrived, it may be because it opted for the scenic route instead – and to the driver, just to be clear, you can’t park there”.
The bizarre incident comes after other vehicle offences were dealt with by the same team earlier in the week, as a reportedly stolen vehicle was traced to a cafe in Oxford, and four people who were travelling in it were arrested by armed police.
Also last week, another Amazon vehicle was abandoned near Foulness Island, Essex, after the driver unknowingly drove onto the causeway during high tide, stranding the vehicle.
The driver, whose identity is unknown, was forced to abandon his van in rising waters on a walking path known as The Broomway, dubbed “the deadliest path in Britain”.
The vehicle was travelling towards Foulness Island, four miles from Southend, which is mostly closed to the public because the Ministry of Defence uses it for weapons testing.
The driver followed the satnav’s instructions across an ancient six-mile walking path into the Thames Estuary on Saturday night.
The delivery driver had removed themselves from the van and reported the incident to Amazon, who in turn arranged with a local farmer to extract the vehicle on Sunday.
Amazon have been contacted for comment.