An air ambulance landed on the A2 near Gravesend on Monday after a motorcyclist was injured in a collision that closed the dual carriageway in both directions.
Kent Police was called to the coastbound carriageway, close to the Inn on the Lake hotel, at around 12.39pm on 5 October after the crash involving the bike.
Officers arrived at the scene alongside paramedics from the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAMB), and a helicopter-based air ambulance crew was also sent to the incident.
So that the helicopter could land safely, the London-bound carriageway was shut for a short period while the air ambulance touched down and then took off again. The A2 was also blocked in both directions between the M2 and the A227 while emergency crews worked at the scene.
Firefighters from Kent Fire and Rescue Service and highways traffic officers were sent to the crash site as well. The injured rider was taken by road ambulance to a London hospital for treatment.
Motorists caught up in the closure faced delays of around 15 minutes, with queues of about two miles building on the approaches to the scene.
Air ambulances are routinely tasked to serious road collisions because they can fly advanced critical-care teams directly to the scene and move patients to major trauma centres far faster than a road ambulance when every minute counts. Landing a helicopter on a live carriageway requires the road to be fully closed, which is why the London-bound lanes were shut for the aircraft’s arrival and departure.
Advice for drivers
Drivers planning to travel between London and Kent were advised to check live traffic information before setting out and to allow extra time for their journeys. Local routes around Gravesend, including the A227, offered an alternative for some motorists looking to avoid the closed stretch, although these roads were expected to be busier than usual while the A2 remained shut.
Road users were also reminded to keep well clear of emergency vehicles, to give crews room to work, and never to drive through a road closure unless directed to do so by officers at the scene.
Road safety on the A2
The A2 through north Kent is one of the busiest routes into the capital, carrying a heavy mix of commuter traffic, freight and long-distance drivers. On fast dual carriageways like this, motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users, and collisions involving bikes frequently require a large emergency response because of the serious nature of the injuries that can result.
The incident came on a day of disruption on the route. A separate serious crash involving a motorbike also forced the A2 to close in both directions at Thong on Monday, leaving miles of queues.
Road safety remains a major focus across the capital and the South East. The number of 20mph speed limits in London has more than tripled in recent years as part of efforts to cut collisions and make streets safer — a reminder that managing speed is seen by transport chiefs as one of the most effective ways of reducing how serious crashes are when they happen.
Earlier incidents have shown the scale of response such crashes can demand. Three people were taken to hospital after a crash at Kew Bridge, in an incident that also required a major response from the emergency services.
What happens next
Police inquiries into the exact circumstances of the Gravesend crash are expected to continue, and officers may appeal for witnesses or dashcam footage in due course. Anyone who saw the collision, or who was driving in the area around the time it happened, is urged to contact Kent Police.
Motorists are reminded to check traffic updates before travelling on the A2, one of the busiest dual carriageways in the South East, as conditions can change quickly when incidents occur.
