Police are hunting a lorry driver who caused major chaos in the Dartford Tunnel after smashing critical systems — and then didn’t stop. The crash triggered hours of hellish delays for drivers heading from Kent to Essex.
HGV Smashes Tunnel, Sparks Hours of Delays
The nightmare unfolded around midday on Friday, January 23, when an HGV, reportedly over the permitted height limit, struck vital tunnel equipment. This forced National Highways to shut the left-hand tunnel for urgent, extensive repairs.
With just one tunnel lane open, drivers faced brutal queues and two-hour delays at peak times. Authorities only reopened the tunnel around 8pm the next day, January 24.
Driver Flees, Police Launch Probe
Kent Police revealed the lorry driver did not stop after the crash. A force spokesperson said: “The incident happened at around lunchtime the previous day, and the driver is alleged to not have stopped following the collision. Inquiries into the incident are ongoing.”
Local MP Demands Answers and Apology
Dartford’s MP Jim Dickson slammed the disruption caused to residents and businesses. He said: “I’m relieved to say the northbound west tunnel was reopened overnight and traffic should now be back to normal.
I have already called on National Highways to perform a full investigation into how this was allowed to happen and how it can be prevented in future.
Dartford residents and businesses are owed an apology for the serious disruption caused over the past 36 hours.”
National Highways Pleads for Patience
Sean Martell, head of service delivery at National Highways, thanked frustrated drivers for bearing with the disruption.
“The damaged equipment is critical to the safe operation of the tunnel, and it was vital that all systems were fully functional before reopening. We recognise the frustration this closure caused for road users, but the safety of everyone who uses and works on our road network must always remain our highest priority.”
