More Than 30 Vehicles Pile Up in Fog on the M20 Near Maidstone, Two Seriously Injured

More than 30 vehicles collided in thick fog on the M20 in Kent on Saturday evening, November 7, leaving two people seriously injured and closing the motorway in both directions overnight.

Kent Police said the crash happened at about 6.41pm on the London-bound carriageway between junctions 8 and 9, near Hollingbourne, close to Maidstone. One of the two people seriously injured was taken to a hospital in London and the other to a local hospital, police said.

Emergency response

Kent Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at 6.43pm and sent three fire engines and a technical rescue unit to the scene. Paramedics cared for 11 people, and an air ambulance crew also attended. National Highways said thick fog had been confirmed at the scene.

The Met Office had a yellow warning for fog in place, and visibility fell below 50 metres in some places in southern England. Some motorists reported that smoke from a fireworks display near Leeds Castle may also have cut visibility. Authorities have not confirmed what caused the crash, and police inquiries are continuing.

Scale and route

Early reports on Saturday night put the number of vehicles lower. National Highways first told drivers the collision involved up to 20 vehicles, including cars and lorries. Kent Police later said more than 30 vehicles were involved. The Times reported that the crash was thought to be the largest pile-up on the M20, while noting that Britain's largest multi-vehicle crash remains the Sheppey Crossing collision on the A249, where more than 100 vehicles collided in dense fog.

Diversions were put in place while the stretch stayed shut, and drivers were urged to avoid the area. The M20 is the main motorway through Kent, linking London with Maidstone, Ashford, Folkestone and the ports at Dover, so an overnight closure in both directions held up traffic across the county well into Sunday morning.

Closed overnight, reopened Sunday

Both carriageways were closed between junctions 8 and 9 while crews treated the injured, cleared wreckage and examined the scene. National Highways said both carriageways had reopened at about 5am on Sunday, November 8.

Another Met Office fog warning stayed in place until 10am on Sunday, covering a large part of southern England and the Midlands, including London.

Kent Police asked anyone with information or dashcam footage to contact the force through its live chat service or by calling 101, quoting reference 07-1245.