A motorcyclist and his passenger were pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday evening, leaving families devastated as the festive season begins.
A man and woman, both in their 30s, were killed in a devastating head-on collision on the A228 Pembury Northern Bypass in Kent on Saturday evening, plunging two families into grief just five days before Christmas.
The crash unfolded around 6:40pm near the junction for Old Church Road, a stretch of the bypass that serves as a critical link between Maidstone Hospital and the newly redeveloped Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury. A black Triumph motorcycle carrying the couple was travelling towards Tunbridge Wells alongside a light-coloured Jaguar when it collided with a silver Ford van heading in the opposite direction, according to a statement from Kent Police.
Police and ambulance crews rushed to the scene, but the male rider and his female passenger were pronounced dead before they could be transported to hospital. Their families have since been notified, though police have not yet released the victims' identities.
The violent nature of the impact has prompted Kent Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit to take command of the enquiry. Officers closed the bypass for most of Sunday while forensic investigators examined the scene, causing significant disruption to motorists in the area, as reported by KentOnline. The road fully reopened shortly before 5pm on Sunday, according to Kent County Council's Highways department.
The exact circumstances of how three vehicles became entangled in the fatal collision remain unclear. Police have launched an urgent appeal for dashcam footage that might reveal what happened in the moments before impact.
The tragedy compounds what has already been a grim December on British roads. According to the Office for National Statistics, road traffic accidents spike significantly in December compared to other months, with the 23rd and 24th typically ranking among the deadliest days of the year. Cold weather conditions, increased travel for festive gatherings, and darker evenings all contribute to the heightened danger.
The A228 Pembury Northern Bypass has seen fatal crashes before. In August 2020, a man in his 50s from the Tunbridge Wells area died at the same location following a four-vehicle collision involving a Mercedes, Mini, Land Rover and lorry. The route, which connects the Isle of Grain to the A21 trunk road at Pembury, includes sections that have been described as notorious accident blackspots, according to historical assessments of the road.
Anyone who witnessed Saturday's collision or has dashcam footage is urged to contact Kent Police on 01622 798538, quoting reference EW/DCG/090/25. Footage can also be uploaded through Kent Police's online evidence portal or emailed to [email protected].
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