Horror crash on motorway

A man died and another was arrested following a crash on the M2.

Huge delays followed the smash on the coastbound stretch between junctions 4 for Gillingham and 5 for Sittingbourne, Sheppey and Maidstone just after 1.30pm on Tuesday. The road reopened at 10pm. A grey BMW estate and a white lorry were involved in a collision. Police, paramedics, the air ambulance and fire crews were unable to save a man aged in his 20s.

A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving.

An investigation into the crash is being carried out by the Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) which asked drivers to check their dashcams for anything which might assist their inquiries.

A second collision also closed two lanes of the M2 between junction 2 for Rochester and junction 3 for Blue Bell Hill. That happened at about 3.30pm between a car and a van on the coastbound carriageway.

The police investigation remains ongoing. People who witnessed the collision are asked to call the SCIU appeal line on 01622 798538 quoting RY/ FM/108/19.

Drivers were left in huge queues across Medway with routes through Chatham, Rainham, Newington, and Gillingham, including Hoath Way, particularly gridlocked.

A lorry managed to get stuck in a lane near the crash on the M2, adding to lengthy tailbacks. One driver reported taking an hour to travel a mile on Medway City Estate, with others taking nearly three hours to get from Strood to Sittingbourne, and between two and three hours to get from Gravesend to Medway. One driver, who asked not to be named, said: “I was supposed to be heading to London to see a show in the West End but it took me more than 90 minutes just to do half a mile out of the Medway City Estate.

“I’d been planning on driving to Ebbsfleet to get the fast train but as the queues were so bad getting to the Wainscott Bypass let alone the M2, I had to abandon it and headed back home.