Man killed in lorry crash inferno is named
10:03, 11 June 2010
updated: 10:03, 11 June 2010
Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward to an accident involving two lorries on the A20 between Dover and Capel on Thursday June 10 in which one driver died.
He has been named as Joaquin Branco, aged 54, from Portugal.
The road was completely closed for several hours after one of the lorries crashed through the central reservation and collided with the other lorry travelling in the opposite direction, and both vehicles were engulfed in flames.
It happened at 3.30pm on the London-bound carriageway at the top of the hill out of Dover. One lorry was empty, the other was loaded with equipment.
Fire crews from Dover were first on the scene and were told that it was thought that someone was still trapped inside one of the blazing vehicles. But this proved not to be the case as both drivers had been taken out of their cabs.
The Kent air ambulance was called and both men were taken to the William Harvey Hospital at Ashford with serious injuries where Mr Branco died in the early hours of Friday morning.
Six fire appliances from Dover, Deal, Folkestone and Ramsgate, as well as a water unit, a foam unit, 60 firefighters and specialist vehicles were sent to the scene.
The road remained closed until nearly 4am on Friday and motorists were diverted along the A2.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the police Serious Collision Unit on 01622 798538.