West Kent Local News
The M20 near Junction 8, Hollingbourne (file image). Image credit: Penny Mayes / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Two Seriously Injured as 30-Vehicle Crash Shuts M20 Overnight Near Maidstone
Two people were seriously injured and the M20 was closed in both directions for several hours overnight after a collision involving more than 30 vehicles near Hollingbourne, Maidstone, during thick fog on Saturday evening.
Kent Police said the incident was reported at around 6.41pm on Saturday 7 November on the London-bound carriageway of the motorway, between junctions 9 and 8. Kent Fire and Rescue Service also attended, describing it as a serious collision involving multiple vehicles.
Of the two people seriously injured, one was taken to a London hospital and the other to a local hospital. Other drivers involved sustained injuries not believed to be serious. Kent Police said road closures were in place on both the London-bound and coast-bound carriageways between junctions 9 and 8, and warned at the time that these were likely to remain in place overnight while the incident was dealt with.
The crash happened under a Met Office yellow weather warning for fog covering the area. Kent Police asked anyone with information or dash cam footage of the incident to contact them via live chat, quoting reference 07-1245.
Where it happened
The pin marks the Hollingbourne Interchange (Junction 8); the closed stretch ran from here east to Junction 9 (Ashford) on the M20, just outside Maidstone.
A busy weekend on the roads right next to the crash site
The crash happened on the opening night of Leeds Castle's sold-out Fireworks Spectacular - one of the South East's biggest firework displays, held this year over both Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, and running again tonight. The castle sits immediately next to the Hollingbourne Interchange, so traffic heading to and from the event is likely to have added to the volume of vehicles on this stretch of the M20 as fog closed in on Saturday evening.
Fog warning still in force, and a busy day of travel ahead
The Met Office has a yellow warning for fog in force across Kent until 10am today, Sunday 8 November, with dense patches reducing visibility to less than 50 metres in places. Drivers are advised to check conditions before setting off, leave extra time, and make sure their fog lights are working. It's also Remembrance Sunday, with services and some road closures taking place across West Kent through the morning - see our full list of times and locations - on top of a second night of fireworks traffic at Leeds Castle this evening. Anyone travelling in the area today should allow extra time and take extra care.
