Eight people have been injured in a 19-vehicle crash on the A303 near Andover, Hampshire, which took place in thick fog on Saturday evening. Emergency services were called to the westbound carriageway between the A342 near Andover and Thruxton and the A338 near Cholderton at 8.20pm on Saturday 7 November.
Crash details and response
Initial reports put the number of vehicles involved at 16, but police on Sunday confirmed the total to be 19. A police spokesman said: "Two injuries were reported, one confirmed as serious, but not life-threatening or life-changing."
Local media reports indicated that all vehicles involved were cleared from the affected stretch, but the clean-up from a fuel spill meant there were delays to it reopening fully. Both lanes of the westbound carriageway have been closed.
Road reopening timeline
National Highways reported at lunchtime on Sunday that the road is expected to clear between 5.15pm and 5.30pm on Sunday 8 November. A National Highways spokesperson told the Hampshire Chronicle that cleaning work was ongoing this morning, but there were no significant delays or congestion approaching the closure at that time.
They said: "We will reopen the road as soon as the cleaning, inspection and any necessary repair work have been completed."
Fog warning and travel advice
News of the crash came after the Met Office issued a yellow warning for fog, affecting large swathes of England, including the south west and south east. Motorists were advised to allow extra time for travel, to check road conditions ahead of time and to make sure their fog lights were working.
Fog may be particularly stubborn overnight into Monday in rural parts of the Midlands, Wales and East Anglia, where temperatures will drop near to freezing, with air frost possible. The Met Office warned visibility could be down to 50 metres or less in some places, with delays to bus and train services possible and a chance of delays or cancellations to flights.
Police covering the Test Valley urged the public to avoid the area while officers responded to the A303 crash. Officers said they would try to provide an update once the road reopened. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police have been approached for the latest.
Separate M20 crash in Kent
Meanwhile, in Kent more than 30 vehicles were involved in a crash on the M20. Two people were seriously injured. Officers were called at around 6.40pm on Saturday on the London-bound carriageway of the motorway between J9 at Ashford and J8 at Leeds Castle.
Kent Police said two people sustained serious injuries, with one taken to a London hospital and the other to a local hospital. The force said their injuries are neither life-threatening nor life-changing. Other drivers were hurt but their injuries were not thought to be serious. Kent Fire and Rescue confirmed 11 people were looked after by paramedics. The M20 closed both ways between junction eight and nine, but it has since reopened.
