A business owner has blasted KCC for failing to respond to requests to do something about a dangerous stretch of road, where a crash has left a man fighting for his life in hospital.

The accident happened on the A20 London Road at Wrotham Heath at around 5.20 on Friday morning, not far from the junction with M26.

The driver of a Renault Megane, a man in his 20s, had to be cut free from the wreckage after his vehicle was in a collision with a Volvo articulated lorry. He was flown by air ambulance to a specialist hospital in London.

The accident was directly outside the offices of Lucas UK, based on the Invicta Business Park.

The firm's owner Danny Lucas said: "The accident came as no surprise to me or my staff. We've been witnessing near misses frequently for several months."

Although the exact cause of Friday's accident is still to be determined, Mr Lucas insists the road is dangerous.

He said: "For months it has been covered in mud which makes the surface very slippery."

"It is a 50-mile limit and drivers have had no warning as they come down the hill and encounter the wet patch."

In addition he said, a tree which fell in high winds four weeks ago, is partially extending into the road.

He said: "Drivers swerve to get around it just at the point where the mud begins."

Mr Lucas said pedestrians too were at risk. He said: "The traffic islands are covered in mud. You can't see the signs.

"People, sometimes quite elderly, cross here to take their dogs for a walk along the Pilgrims Way. The other day I watched a man slip in the mud and almost fall in the path of an oncoming vehicle."

Mr Lucas said the problem had been reported to Kent Highways. He said: "It's impossible to get anyone to talk to at KCC to explain, you have to do it on their website, which we did, but nothing happened."

When they went online, the business found there had already been multiple reports logged on the Kent Highway faults page.

Mr Lucas said: "Our report was logged on January 21. The accident happened on February 28. Nothing had been done in the meantime.

"Following the accident, KCC has erected temporary 'Slow' and 'Ice' warning signs half a mile away, either side of the accident scene, but still nothing has been done to remove the mud - it's shocking."

He said staff - unable to reach the business by car last Friday, had had to walk past the accident scene. "It was traumatic," he said.

A Kent County Council spokesman said: “We are very concerned to hear what happened on the A20 London Road and we wish the driver a swift and full recovery.

“We cannot comment on the specifics of this incident as the police investigation is ongoing.

“Kent County Council is also carrying out further investigations this week, to establish the water related issues impacting the highway from privately own fields.”

Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision which closed the road to traffic until 1.30pm. Officers want anyone who saw the car or the lorry in the moments leading up to the collision, or who have dash cam footage from the area around the time, to contact them.

Witnesses can call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 01622 798 538, quoting reference SM/LB/016/20. Alternatively email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk

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