News

The Kent Fire and Rescue Service officer in charge at the A20 pile-up yesterday (2 July)  praised the public, firefighters and all the agencies involved.

Around 40 vehicles were involved and 50 others were affected by the crash including a police car and two Kent Fire and Rescue vehicles. Four firefighters were taken to the William Harvey Hospital.

Specialist heavy lifting equipment was used to reach a car that was trapped between two articulated lorries but the person in the car died.

Station Manager Darran Stock said: “It was very foggy and raining and there were large numbers of people involved including pregnant mothers and young children. We were able to call upon the Red Cross Victim Support units who provided food, drink and toilet facilities for people which made a real difference.

“The incident was a great example of the emergency services working together. Our firefighters were able to help Ambulance staff give first-aid to the many people who suffered minor injuries.

“I cannot praise the public enough for their understanding and for the spirit they showed and their willingness to follow our instructions. We even had two off-duty soldiers who offered to help give first aid.

“There was the potential for the incident to have been a lot worse and we were very fortunate that no one else was killed or badly injured.”