The huge chain-reaction
crash took place on a multi-lane bridge and highway that connects the
Isle of Sheppey with mainland Kent, reportedly amid thick fog.
Video from the scene
showed scores of abandoned cars and trucks, many crumpled from impacts
with other vehicles. Motorists, some injured, sat on the roadside as
they awaited help.
The Sheppey Crossing, on the A249 road, has been closed to traffic in both directions, Kent Police said.
More than 30 people were
taken to the hospital, the local ambulance service said. In all, about
200 people received care for minor injuries or were given medical advice
at the scene, it said.
"It's horrific. I've never seen anything like it in my life," local newspaper Kent Online quoted witness Martin Stammers, 45.
"All you could hear was
cars crashing. We got out of our car and it was eerily quiet with
visibility down to just 20 yards. Then you would hear the screeching of
brakes and then a thud. It was all you could hear for about 10 minutes
-- crash after crash after crash."
Several hours after the
pile-up, the South East Coast Ambulance Service said many people were
unable to leave the bridge because of the wrecked vehicles and were
struggling with the heat on an unusually warm September day.
"The scale of this
incident made our response very challenging," said Chris Stamp, a senior
operations manager. But, he added, crews had responded quickly to treat
those needing help.
Culled from cnn.com
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