TWO Kent firefighters were shocked to learn their teenage sons had been injured in a head-on crash.

Dymchurch fireman Steve Buckner was among the retained crew called to the accident between New Romney and St Mary’s Bay where he discovered his 16-year-old son Ryan was one of the passengers.

He had been in a Volkswagen Golf driven by his friend’s mother Fiona Winyard, the wife of another fireman. She had to be cut from the wreckage. Her son, who is 16, was also hurt in the crash.

The car they were in was in collision with a silver Peugeot 106 along the A259 towards Hythe.

The 19-year-old driver of the Peugeot was thrown from his car. He was taken to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and later transferred to Charing Cross Hospital in London, where he is in a critical condition.

The three in the Golf were taken to hospital but have since been released.

Fire officer Bob Winyard was at an earthquake debriefing meeting at Folkestone fire station when he was told his wife and son had been involved in a crash and a colleague took him to the scene.

Mr Winyard, a group manager at Kent Fire and Rescue Service, has since thanked the emergency services who helped to rescue them.

He said: “I would like to thank the crews at Dymchurch, New Romney and Green Watch at Folkestone, as well as the ambulance service and police for everything they did. They worked brilliantly.”

The crash happened at 6.40pm last Thursday and road was closed for six hours while police investigated.

Anyone who saw either vehicle before the collision is asked to call the Serious Crash Investigation Unit on 01622 798538.