Dozens Hurt as 130 Vehicles Crash

Dozens of people have been injured as more than 130 vehicles were involved in a series of crashes in thick fog on the A249 Sheppey crossing in Kent.

Eight of those hurt in the collisions, which took place at about 07:15 BST, have serious injuries.

Early reports said 200 people had been hurt, but police later revised the figure.

Firefighters said they had freed five people from their vehicles on the southbound carriageway, reports the BBC.

One witness said visibility had been very poor at the time of the crash but drivers were approaching the crossing with no lights.

Others at the scene described a mass of tangled cars, lorries, and a car transporter. Some reports said the crash went on for 10 minutes as cars continuously collided with each other.

Driver Martin Stammers said the scene was "horrendous" and described seeing cars under lorries and people lying on the floor.

He said visibility was about 10 to 20 yards when he approached the bridge and saw five cars smashed into each other with one across the outside lane.

He managed to squeeze through a gap between that car and the central reservation, he said.

"For 10 minutes afterwards, all we could hear was screeching, cars thudding into each other, lorries crashing," he added.

He said he and his son ran to warn other drivers and warn cars to slow down.

"Later, a woman came up to us sobbing saying, 'thank you, thank you, you saved my life'," he said.

Ch Insp Andy Reeves said the crash was over a "protracted area" with undamaged vehicles between others which had collided.