Carmageddon: Hundred car pile-up on foggy bridge lasted 10 minutes - but incredibly, NO ONE was killed
- 'Carnage' on new Sheppey crossing bridge on A249 in Kent at 7.15am saw cars and lorries crash into each other
- Eight people seriously injured and another 200 with minor injuries - but no fatalities after incident this morning
- Scene was full of buckled cars, lorries and car transporter amid reports some motorists were driving 'like idiots'
- Stranded motorists sit on road for up to eight hours in 30C heat but left area by 3pm. Bridge reopens at 5.30pm
- Local Conservative MP reveals he had concerns about design of bridge's lighting and will talk to the authorities
- AA chief says crash may have been caused by 'stupid driving' - specifically tailgating and not using fog lights
- Police say it's 'truly miraculous' that no one was killed in today's pile-up, which saw 33 people taken to hospital
- Lives probably saved after lorry driver uses truck to block bridge entrance and stop more cars piling into crash
- Drivers may have been caught out by irregular nature of fog patches in South East this morning, forecasters say
- Institute of Advanced Motorists: 'Biggest single fog accident' in British history - and it's 'amazing' nobody died
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When the fog finally lifted it revealed a trail of carnage that stretched for almost 500 yards.
More than 100 cars were involved in a massive ten-minute pile-up after visibility fell to just a few feet during rush hour yesterday morning.
Eight people were seriously injured and 200 walking wounded needed treatment at the scene. Police said it was ‘truly miraculous’ that nobody died in the biggest ever accident caused by fog on British roads.
Motorists described their ‘blind terror’ in the seemingly endless succession of screeching tyres, crunching metal and smashing glass as cars, lorries and vans ploughed into each other and crumpled like concertinas.
Foggy: According to police around 100 vehicles
were involved in the pile-up on a bridge in heavy fog, leaving at least
eight people seriously injured
Astonishing accident: At the scene on the
Sheppey bridge in Kent, motorists caught up in the accident milled
around in hot sunshine waiting to get their cars back
From above: Those caught up in crashes were
looked after by the emergency services and voluntary organisations who
attended, such as the British Red Cross
What remains: The incident on the new Sheppey
crossing bridge in Kent started at 7.15am and continued for 10 minutes
as cars and lorries crashed into each other
One
petrified driver was sent flying several feet into the air in her car
by a collision, only to land and have several other vehicles hit the car
from behind.The chaos ended when a lorry driver bravely used his truck to block the entrance to the new Sheppey Crossing bridge in Kent to stop motorists driving towards the disaster.
Witnesses recalled ‘eerie silence’ in the aftermath as dazed motorists surveyed the buckled vehicles, cars rammed into the central reservation and trapped under lorries, and injured people lying on the Tarmac.
AA president Edmund King said ‘stupid driving’ may have been responsible, with motorists tailgating and not using fog lights despite only being able to see ten yards in front of them. He also joined the local MP in suggesting poor lighting on the bridge could have been a factor.
The pile-up started at 7.15am on the London-bound A249 as it crosses from the Isle of Sheppey to the Kent mainland.
Damage: The pile-up involving more than
100 vehicles on the bridge left eight people seriously injured and many
more suffering minor wounds in scenes of 'carnage'
Bridge crash: The scene from above on the
London-bound carriageway of the Sheppey Bridge Crossing near Sheerness
in Kent following a pile-up
Complete carnage: Witnesses told of the eerie
aftermath of the pile-up on the Kent bridge, which happened at around
7.15am this morning
Massive crash: The scene on the London-bound
carriageway of the Sheppey Bridge crossing near Sheerness in Kent
following a multi-vehicle collision this morning
Smashed up: Destroyed cars remained at the scene
on the London-bound carriageway of the Sheppey Bridge Crossing, which
was attended by emergency services
Passing the time: A man reads a newspaper in his
car which was involved in the crash on the London-bound carriageway of
the Sheppey Bridge Crossing
Martin Stammers, 45, from Minster on the Isle of Sheppey, said: ‘It was horrific. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.
‘It was so foggy you couldn’t even see the tail lights of the car in front of you – it was like you were driving in a blanket.
‘I
was very, very lucky. As I came to the top of the hill, there were
about five cars already smashed up, one across my carriageway.
‘I had to hit my brakes hard as well, I just had enough space to get through.
‘From
then on, all you could hear was the screeching of car tyres and the
thudding, which was endless. You could hear the lorries thudding into
cars, you could hear glass breaking, there was nothing we could do.
‘It was utter carnage. It must have gone on for about ten minutes.
‘Even
after the police turned up, you heard further down the bridge – a
quarter of a mile, half a mile away – cars still going into the back of
each other.’
Shocking: The scene on the London bound
carriageway of the Sheppey Bridge Crossing near Sheerness in Kent
following a pile-up involving more than 100 vehicles
Busy day: Recovery workers walk along the
Sheppey crossing bridge after more than 100 vehicles were involved in a
major road traffic incident in Kent
Big clean-up: A rescue worker carries a piece of
the wreckage of one of the 100 vehicles involved in multiple
collisions, which took place in dense fog
Waiting game: Drivers sit and stand by the side
of the road to recover their vehicles after a major traffic accident on
the A249 Sheppey crossing bridge in Kent
Spun around: The wreckage of some of the 100
vehicles involved in multiple collisions, which took place in dense fog
during the morning rush hour
His son Jay,
who works at his father’s shoe repair firm in Minster, added: ‘I’ve
never seen anything like it. I’m still shaking now.
‘I spoke to one lady who said she thought she was going to die.
‘I spoke to one lady who said she thought she was going to die.
'Her
car flew up in the air and when it landed it kept getting hit by other
cars and she couldn’t get out. There was another lady with a little boy
and they were both sobbing – we were trying to comfort them.
‘I
could see people trapped in their cars. One elderly man had his leg
stuck. One car I saw, the bonnet was squashed under a lorry – I don’t
know how the driver survived. Every vehicle was just a mangled wreck.’
Assessing the destruction: Recovery workers
clear damaged vehicles from the New Sheppey Crossing Bridge by the the
Isle of Sheppey, Kent
Stranded: Drivers and passengers sit on the
central reservation after a multi-car crash on the New Sheppey Crossing
Bridge by the the Isle of Sheppey, Kent
Taken away: A recovery worker straps the
wreckage of a vehicle onto a tow truck on the Sheppey crossing bridge
after over 100 vehicles were involved in a traffic accident
Stranded: Drivers wait on the pavement for their
vehicles to be recovered at the site of the major traffic accident on
the A249 Sheppey crossing bridge in Kent
Recovery: Steve Seully, senior emergency
planning officer for Kent County Council, said that stranded motorists
had all left the area by around 3pm
Student Jaime Emmett, 19, said the fog was so thick you could only see a few cars in front.
Another
driver, Chris Buckingham, praised the lorry driver who blocked the
entrance to the bridge. He said: ‘Whoever that guy is, I’d like to shake
his hand because he’s probably saved lives today.’
A
fleet of 30 ambulances and other response vehicles treated some
casualties at the roadside. Firefighters used hydraulic cutting
equipment to free those who were trapped.
Examining the destruction: Emergency services
attend the site of a major traffic accident on the A249 Sheppey crossing
bridge on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent
Emergency: A huge crash happened on the London bound carriageway of the Sheppey Bridge Crossing
Big effort: The scene on the London bound
carriageway of the Sheppey Bridge Crossing near Sheerness in Kent
following a pile-up involving more than 100 vehicles
Examining the damage: A police officer looks at
crashed vehicles on the New Sheppey Crossing Bridge by the Isle of
Sheppey, Kent, following the accident
The four-lane bridge, which was opened in 2006 and rises 115ft over the water, was shut in both directions. Motorists sat on Tarmac for up to eight hours in 30C (86F) heat before it was reopened at 3pm.
Chief Inspector Andy Reeves, of Kent police, said he had never seen such a crash in 20 years, adding: ‘It’s truly miraculous. It’s very fortunate there were no fatalities.’
Mr King said driving close to the car in front in fog was ‘an absolute recipe for disaster’.
He added: ‘By law, you don’t have to have fog lights on, although it’s recommended. Unfortunately many people don’t know how to turn their fog lights on.
Shelter: Drivers, passengers and rescuers receive help from the
Salvation Army after a multiple crash on the Sheppey bridge by the the
Isle of Sheppey
Huge collision: The aftermath of the pile-up on
the Sheppey Bridge Crossing near Sheerness in Kent, following a
multi-vehicle collision earlier this morning
Long distance: This wide-angle photograph shows
the collision, which saw the walking wounded taken down from the bridge
on the Sittingbourne side
Numbered: The AA said drivers in the Kent
accident were likely to be out of pocket as they faced paying the first
£200 to £300 in accident claims
We
are calling for a safety review on the A249 Sheppey Crossing to look at
the speed limit, lack of matrix warning signs and lighting.’Gordon Henderson, Conservative MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, added: ‘I have had concerns in the past, particularly about the level of lighting on the bridge.’
Neil Greig, policy director at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: ‘This is the biggest single fog accident that Britain has ever had.
‘It is amazing that the same time it is also not the biggest in terms of people killed.’
Destruction: A Kent fireman walks past a car
with no roof following a multiple crash on the New Sheppey Crossing
Bridge by the Isle of Sheppey
Incredible pile-up: The incident on the new
Sheppey crossing bridge in Kent started at 7.15am and saw a huge number
of injuries after a massive crash
Mammoth effort: Paramedics treated the injured
and a firefighter held a baby at the scene of the multi-car pile-up on
the Sheppey bridge in Kent today
Distressing: A mother and her child are taken
away from the scene of the multi-car pile up on the A249 Isle of Sheppey
bridge in Kent
Grateful: Although there were believed to be
eight people seriously injured, there were said to be no fatalities
following the crash in Kent today
Paramedics on scene: Around 200 people had minor injuries following the crash near Sheerness in Kent
Helping out: Paramedics treat people on the London-bound carriageway of the Sheppey Bridge crossing
Why did it happen? Motorists involved could well
have been travelling far too close to the vehicle in front and not
using their fog lights, said AA president Edmund King
Glass everywhere: The scene of the crash on the
new Sheppey bridge on the A249 in Kent which involved more than 100
vehicles and left 200 injured
'Saved lives': A lorry driver who saw the start
of the accident used his truck to block the entrance to the bridge and
stop more cars piling into the crash, a witness said
Discussion: Dozens and dozens of motorists are
addressed by the police about their stranded vehicles after the
multi-car crash on the A249 in Kent
Aid: South East Coast Ambulance Service said it
was dealing with a major incident and has deployed its hazardous area
response teams to the scene
Tough conditions: A satellite image from 7.15am,
when the crash occurred in Kent (circled). The fog is extensive in the
south-eastern quarter of the UK
Car transporter: Thick fog causing extreme poor
visibility is said to behind the accident, which took place on the
bridge at about 7.15am this morning
'Carnage': Hundreds of people have been injured,
some seriously, after the pile-up of more than 100 vehicles on the A249
Sheppey crossing in Kent
Reports of injuries: A Kent Police spokesman said visibility was a problem over the bridge this morning
Misty conditions: The crash occurred on the new Sheppey crossing bridge on the A249 in Kent this morning
Wreckage: People were reportedly trapped and 30
ambulances and response vehicles went to the scene, with some casualties
receiving treatment at the roadside
Major incident: Motorists were warned to avoid the area around the new Sheppey crossing bridge
Emergency assistance: There were reports of six serious injuries and 200 minor injuries, police said
Fire service: Police were called at 7.15am to deal with the incident, with other emergency services
Extraordinary accident: Damaged cars on the Sheppey crossing in Kent this morning after a pile-up in fog
Crammed together: Drivers in the Kent bridge
pile-up might have been caught out by the irregular nature of the fog
patches this morning, according to forecasters
What a mess: Areas of Kent , Essex and parts of London suffered from some areas of this dense, patchy fog today
Early crash: Today was forecast to be mostly
dry, sunny and very warm over central, southern and eastern England once
the heavy early fog cleared
Concerns: The ambulance service said it believed
there were eight patients with 'potentially' serious injuries following
the crash in Kent this morning
Pile-up: Some areas of Kent were relatively free
of fog during the early rush-hour but there were also some dense
patches in places
Response: Firefighters helped motorists out of their cars, while paramedics helped those injured
Huge pile-up: The accident occurred in thick fog
with some witnesses saying that visibility was down to 20 yards in
places and that motorists were 'driving like idiots' prior to the crash
Aerial view: South East Coast Ambulance Service
said it was dealing with a major incident with 30 ambulances and cars at
the scene, but a spokesman said he was not aware of any deaths
Astonishing: The scene on the bridge was a mass
of tangled cars, lorries and even a car transporter, with reports saying
that the crash went on for 10 minutes as cars continuously collided
with each other
Location: The bridge is north of Kemsley, east of Gillingham, west of Faversham and north-east of Maidstone
And it's not just Kent hit by the bizarre summer fog
Drivers in the Kent bridge pile-up might have been caught out by the irregular nature of the fog patches this morning in the South East, forecasters said.The crash happened as parts of Kent, Essex and parts of London suffered from some areas of this dense, patchy fog yesterday between 4am and 8.30am.
It was forecast to be mostly dry, sunny and very warm over central, southern and eastern England once the early fog had cleared.
Misty: Fog in East London this morning, on a day
when more than 100 vehicles were involved in a crash in the fog on the
New Sheppey crossing bridge
Early start: This cyclist battled through fog in
East London this morning. Drivers in the bridge pile-up might have been
caught out by the irregular nature of the fog patches
Eerie start to the day: The Houses of Parliament and Lambeth Bridge were shrouded in mist today in the early morning
Difficult visibility: The towers of the old
Battersea power station are seen over roof tops in London shrouded in
mist in the early morning
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