Group of women rush to help tractor driver who flipped off bridge onto busy M20

A group of women were first on the scene to help a tractor driver now fighting for his life after plunging off a bridge onto a busy motorway.

The tractor, reportedly carrying thousands of raspberries from a farm, burst through safety barriers from the A227 bridge near Wrotham in Kent and fell onto the central reservation of the M20.

A large white trailer disconnected from the tractor was pictured lying on its side on the bridge above.

A group of women were pictured rushing to the driver’s aid as they became stuck in the overturned tractor.

The driver of the tractor was eventually airlifted to Kings College Hospital with serious injuries. He remains there in a critical but stable condition, Kent Police said.

One witness, driving over the bridge, told Metro: ‘We couldn’t see the tractor.

‘We drove past the trailer on the bridge around 11.30am. Two guys were directing traffic around it. I couldn’t work out what had been towing it.’

Police said the incident is being treated as a single-vehicle collision.

They added the tractor travelling on the A227 Gravesend Road became separated from its trailer.

Both the M20 and the A227 remain closed and a diversion is in place while the roads are made safe and both the trailer and the vehicle are recovered.

Motorists are advised to use alternative routes where possible.

Part of the motorway was closed just before midday, and by 1pm the road had been closed in both directions between junction three for Addington and one for Swanley.

Kent Fire & Rescue Service said the road could be closed for up to six hours while emergency services are at the scene.

They extracted one person from a damaged vehicle and one person was airlifted to hospital.

National Highways said drivers in the area should allow extra time for their journey.

A police spokesperson said: ‘Kent Police was called at 11.17am to a report of a two vehicle collision on the A227 overbridge near Wrotham.

‘A tractor subsequently fell onto the central reservation between junction two and three of the M20.

‘Kent Police is currently attending the scene alongside Kent Fire and Rescue Service and South East Coast Ambulance Service, where one man has been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

‘Both the M20 and the A227 at the scenes remain closed while emergency services attend the incident. Motorists are advised to use alternative routes where possible.’

Kent Fire & Rescue said: ‘We were called to the M20 between junctions 2 and 3 to assist Kent Police.

‘Four fire engines attended and crews extricated one person from a vehicle, who was passed into the care of HEMS paramedics.’

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