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A driver has told how he was 'five seconds from death' after being caught up in a 100-vehicle rush-hour pile-up in thick fog.

Dozens of people were left injured, eight seriously, following two crashes on the New Sheppey Crossing bridge in Kent.

Emergency services, including six fire engines and more than a dozen ambulances, were called to the incident on the A249 at about 7.15am.

Witness Martin Stammers managed to avoid a serious crash after slamming on his brakes in misty conditions.

He told Sky News: "I was very, very, lucky. I was the last car out of it, if you like. As I come to the top of the hill, there were about five cars already smashed up, one was across my carriageway. I had to hit my brakes hard as well, I just had enough space to get through.

"From then on, all you could hear was the screeching of car tyres and the thudding, which was endless. It must have been going on for five to 10 minutes. You could hear hear the screeching, you could hear the lorries thudding into cars, you could hear glass breaking, there was nothing we could do.

"Even after the police turned up, you still heard further down the bridge - a quarter of a mile, half a mile away - cars still going into the back of each other. It was horrendous."

He said drivers on the opposite carriageway thanked him for waving for them to slow down, saying they would have been involved in more serious collisions had he not done so.

Mr Stammers added: "As you went further up, there were cars in the air, there were cars under lorries, there were people laying on the floor, it was just horrendous.

"If you were travelling at 30mph you would have still hit the car in front of you because the visibility was down to 10 yards.

"I just can't believe how close... We were five seconds from, I would say, near death. Very, very, very, lucky, I just hope everyone else there is OK."

He went on: "I can't explain how you're standing there in the quiet and all you can hear is this thud and the glass breaking. It's just silence, that's all you can hear - a screech and a thud, a screech and a thud. Horrific, absolutely horrific."

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Kent Police confirmed six people were seriously hurt and more than 200 others injured.

"Kent Police was called at about 7.15am on Thursday September 5 to the London-bound carriageway on the Sheppey crossing," a force spokesman said.

"It has been reported there were collisions at the top of the crossing and at the foot of the approach to the crossing. Emergency services are currently at the scene dealing with the incident.

"At this stage it is unknown exactly how many vehicles are involved, but early reports suggest more than 100 vehicles. There are reports of six serious injuries and 200 minor injuries.

"Officers are urging motorists to avoid the area but if a journey to the island is essential, the old Kingsferry Bridge remains open but expect long delays.

"The road remains closed at Cowstead Corner on the island and motorists are being directed on to the Kingsferry Bridge, while the road is closed at the Iwade turn-off and vehicles directed through the village on to the old A249."

Motorists were warned to avoid the area.