M20 Chaos: 15-Mile Motorway Shutdown After High-Speed Police Chase
Seven-Hour Gridlock on Key Channel Tunnel Route
A massive 15-mile stretch of the M20 was shut in both directions for nearly seven hours on Sunday after a nail-biting police pursuit. The motorway, a vital artery to the Channel Tunnel and Dover, came to a standstill as police chased a speeding vehicle that even drove the wrong way at one point.
Bomb Squad and Robot Called In for Safety
Army experts and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams were drafted in after police made “tactical contact” with the suspect car traveling London-bound near Junction 9, Ashford. A bomb disposal robot was spotted clearing suspicious items, which had to be X-rayed and examined before the motorway could reopen.
Drivers Trapped in Scorching Heat
Hundreds of motorists found themselves stranded for hours on end, many with babies and young children onboard. Calls flooded 999 from desperate parents asking for water. Officers worked to deliver water, but tensions ran high as some drivers threatened to ram police cordons, angered at warnings they’d be stuck for some time.
Suspect Arrested as Police End Chase
kent-police/" title="Kent Police" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Kent Police confirmed a 27-year-old man from Wales was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and failing to stop for officers. The chaotic pursuit began just after 11:25am near Junction 12 after police spotted the speeding vehicle.
The motorway remains closed today as the investigation continues, causing major disruption for travellers heading to Dover and the Channel Tunnel.
