Kentish Express Ashford & District
Smash causes gridlock
Four people were arrested and a police officer was injured when a chase ended in a crash on a busy roundabout.
The officer suffered head injuries when the patrol car he was driving smashed into a lamppost while pursuing a white Audi on Tuesday afternoon .
The Audi hit a tree close to the Matalan roundabout where the busy A28 meets the B2229 Brookfield Road.
Three men and a woman were arrested and remained in cus- tody as the Express went to press yesterday (Wednesday).
The officer was taken to the William Harvey Hospital but later released.
A Kent Air Ambulance spokesman revealed a total of three patients were taken to hospital.
A woman passenger suffered thorax and leg injuries while a male passenger was also injured.
The pursuit started in Kimberley Way when the Audi allegedly failed to stop.
It is said to have sped off and collided with another car in Brookfield Road before crashing into a tree.
The air ambulance landed opposite Matalan and nine police cars arrived at the scene.
The road was closed for more than five hours while officers from the police’s collision unit investigated, leaving hundreds stuck in queues.
Detectives are now appealing for witnesses to the crash, which happened at 3.50pm.
Thousands of drivers across a wide area of Ashford suffered from the traffic gridlock, which lasted for several hours.
Drivers reported taking two hours to complete a journey that would normally take just minutes.
Anyone with information is asked to call the collision unit on 01622 798538.