Dartford Crossing crash driver feared she would plunge off bridge
"I thought I was going to die; I just saw the end of my road."
The 28-year-old had been driving from her home in Thurrock, Essex, to Crawley in West Sussex at about 11:05 BST.Eyewitnesses said the lorry collided with the rear of her car as its driver changed lanes."Before I knew it, the airbags deployed and I couldn't see anything," said Miss Newman."I was petrified, my brain couldn't keep up with what was going on."The bridge reopened at 02:00 on Friday after work to repair its barriers and road surface.Widespread queues had built up east of London, with eight-mile (12.8km) congestion on the M25 clockwise and gridlock near Lakeside shopping centre.
Miss Newman, who was treated at Basildon Hospital for bruising, said it was "surreal" to see the impact of the collision."I was very shaken up and still am," she explained. "It's petrifying and I feel for everyone who was held up in all of that."It's a major inconvenience for everyone involved, but I appreciate everyone's patience."The sales manager thanked emergency crews and Steve Lowe, 67, who stopped to help her.Mr Lowe said: "I was pretty shaken up because I didn't know if I was going to be caught up in it myself."But he praised Miss Newman for staying calm in what he called a "scary situation".She added: "Everyone was shocked looking at the pictures that I managed to survive."I had someone watching over me that day."
Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The extraordinary advice Prince Philip gave 'level-headed' Kate Middleton that she still keeps to today, according to royal author
Eight years ago on this day, Prince Philip undertook his last official public engagement after 70 years of service to the Firm. Before retiring on August 2, 2017, he attended a parade at Buckingham Palace marking the finale of the Royal Marines 1664 Global Challenge.
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Author raises money for Channel Islands Air Search
A book series aimed at children between the ages of five and eight has had its latest edition written and will raise money for a Channel Island charity. Leo Seeker, written by Simon Applegate, shines a light on the emergency services in the islands through it's characters, with Leo being a small search and rescue plane from Guernsey.A share of proceeds from the book sales will go to Channel Islands Air Applegate said he hoped "to create an awareness of the service because we are a voluntary service and entirely dependent on the generosity of Channel Islanders". Leo Seeker works with friends from Jersey, France and Alderney to rescue those in difficulty at other characters are Albert, the red French helicopter, Mona, the green and orange lifeboat, Christine, the ambulance boat and the blue and orange lifeboats of the Channel Islands also feature. The first book Meet Leo was launched in 2022 and the second More Stories about Leo was launched in 2023. All the stories are based upon real-life rescues carried out by the Channel Islands Air Search. "Create an awareness" Mr Applegate said: "I have been a member of Channel Islands Air Search since it started in 1980, so 45 years ago, and I flew as a pilot for air search for 28 years."Between us all we thought well... the stories are worth telling and I decided in my retirement I would pick up my pen and have a go at writing it up."
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- The Guardian
This is how we do it: ‘I need some emotional connection before sex, but he is ready to go at any time'
There was an occasion when we had sex eight times in one day – we still call it our dirty weekend Ricky and I have been together for 12 years and married for three. I still think about the first time we had sex – it was incredible. I remember thinking: how is this our first time? Because in my experience first times had always been a bit awkward. It was so instantly fun and pleasurable, and felt very safe straight away. Ricky seemed so confident, and I thought: this guy must really know what he's doing. It was only later that I found out he hadn't slept with many people at all. I'd known him for less than a week, but it was some of the best sex I'd ever had. I don't think there is a correlation between penis size and sexual prowess, but Ricky has got a really nice penis. He went down on me that first time, which was rare for me. There was an occasion when we had sex eight times in one day – we still call it our dirty weekend. Now we sometimes have sex once in eight days – but I'm still just as happy and satisfied. When you meet someone new it's crazy and exciting, and then you just become really comfortable together. I have not once thought: I wish we were having more sex. Sometimes I have wondered: should we be having more sex? But that pressure is societal more than anything. We have realised that although we don't have sex that often now – maybe once a fortnight – when we do, we really do it. Sex will last an hour and it is very active. In that moment, neither of us is thinking about anything else. We are very connected. We have quite a set routine now, but it works for us. I need some emotional connection before having sex, even if it's just watching TV together. I like to have a shower and be prepped, whereas Ricky is ready to go at any time. We are both so busy that, despite living together, we can go a few days without even having time to chat about our day. So, for me, it is important to prioritise that kind of intimacy before sex. If you're keen to talk to us about your sex lives you can get in touch by filling in the form below. It is very important that both sexual partners are happy to participate. I was not only falling in love with Anastasia, I was falling in love with sex as well Before Anastasia, my relationship with sex was defined by its absence. I was a late bloomer and didn't have sex until I was at university, but I thought about it so much. They say that if you want something, the worst way to get it is to want it too badly, and that was me when it came to losing my virginity. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion I was discovering so much about myself at that time, and my early sexual experiences ended up being very good. I'm pretty sure the girl who I lost my virginity to didn't know I was a virgin. And then suddenly there was this person who I was falling in love with, and it felt very mature. It was fantastic to have the person who was my first consistent sexual partner then become my permanent partner. I was not only falling in love with Anastasia, I was falling in love with sex as well. I've got so used to having sex with someone who I absolutely love. When we got together she was so complimentary about the first night we had sex because I made her come and I went down on her, and it was generally a really good time. Even after 12 years, when we have sex we never half-ass it. It always feels really good. You fall into the habit of knowing one another and knowing what the other likes and dislikes. I do feel as if I can be slightly impatient, as Anastasia really likes the scene to be set before we have sex. In fact, sometimes if we haven't laid the groundwork enough, we can start and then just fall out of sync. Though I'm very content with the amount of sex we're having, I think we would be happier having more. Often she'll suggest it to me and I'll be like: 'Yeah, OK.' Then, within two seconds, I'm like: 'This is the best. Why don't I do this every single day? How do I distract myself so successfully that I don't want to do this twice a day?'
