At least 30 people injured in 15-car crash near Gatwick Airport: Police probe huge smash in hail storm and torrential rain which shut M23 for four hours

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  • Were YOU affected by the pile-up? Email gina.kalsi@mailonline.co.uk 

Some 34 people are injured after a huge crash involving at least 15 cars near Gatwick Airport on Friday night.

Police confirmed multiple casualties in the crash, with four taken to hospital after the vehicles collided on the M23 in Sussex between Crawley and Horsham just before rush hour.

The motorway was shut for four hours after torrential rain and a hail storm hit the area, which one witness said turned the road into an ‘ice rink’.

South East Coast Ambulances attended to the casualties after being called at 5.40pm, while Sussex Police urged people to ‘avoid the area’.

Friday night rush hour traffic was brought to a standstill in both directions of the motorway that links London to Brighton between Junctions 10 and 11.

Photos of the scene show several cars turned about with significant damage and some seem to have been pushed off the road into a nearby ditch.

The crash involving at least 15 cars on the M23 has led to multiple casualties

The crash involving at least 15 cars on the M23 has led to multiple casualties

The crash involving at least 15 cars on the M23 has led to multiple casualties

The crash involving at least 15 cars on the M23 has led to multiple casualties

Photos of the scene show several cars turned about with significant damage and some seem to have been pushed off the road into a nearby ditch

Photos of the scene show several cars turned about with significant damage and some seem to have been pushed off the road into a nearby ditch

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said earlier in the evening: ‘The M23 is closed both ways between J10 and J11 after a collision involving around 15 vehicles.

‘Emergency services were called at 5.40pm and the ambulance service is treating multiple casualties.

‘Please avoid the area and expect disruption.’

Sussex Police said the M23 southbound re-opened to traffic four hours later but continued to urge drivers to avoid the area. Junctions 10 and 11 northbound remain shut.

The South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed that four people have been taken to hospital with ‘non life-threatening injuries’.

About 34 people are being assessed for minor injuries at the scene and a triage response at the K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley has been set up to treat them.

A man who was driving to Manchester and was involved in the crash told MailOnline: ‘The rain was extremely heavy but it wasn’t the rain which caused it. 

‘It switched to hail stones and then sleet. It looked as if there was snow on the road – it was like driving in snowy conditions. 

‘I had to swerve to avoid a collision but there was debris. I tried to break and slid and impacted with another car and continued down the road. I think in the initial collision there were only one to three cars. 

One man's Mazda (pictured with sleet on the roof) was damaged in the pile-up last night

One man’s Mazda (pictured with sleet on the roof) was damaged in the pile-up last night

Around 34 people were injured after dozens of cars crashed in the icy conditions

Around 34 people were injured after dozens of cars crashed in the icy conditions

The inside of the Mazda is pictured with the windows smashed in after the crash

The inside of the Mazda is pictured with the windows smashed in after the crash

‘There was a pregnant woman who was involved but she was okay. She didn’t look badly injured and she said she just felt a bit light. Everyone that I saw was okay. It didn’t feel real at the time. 

‘I was like what the hell is happening. My car was completely done in. It happened very quickly – you couldn’t see what was in front of you. The sleet was still on my roof an hour later. I was in a complete state of shock. 

‘I was walking about and crashes were still happening. My car did a loop-the-loop and ended up on the embankment. The car still works but the windows are smashed and done in. 

‘It’s ironic – I had told my manager I would leave at seven to avoid the rush hour traffic but I changed my mind last minute. I thought I would be too tired and it would be dangerous so I left at four. I only ended up with some minor injuries, I was fine.’

Roger Williams, who was driving down the M23 when the pile-up happened, told The Argus it is the worst he has seen in 62 years.

He told the news outlet it looked like over ’30 cars’ are smashed, with ‘vans on their sides’ and a minibus ‘upside down’.

He added: ‘I counted five facing wrong way after spinning, but the whole carriageway covered in debris.

‘There was a hail storm. The carriageway was covered in two inches of ice and people were speeding through it.’

South East Coast Ambulances are at the scene after being called at 5.40

South East Coast Ambulances are at the scene after being called at 5.40

A map of the traffic build-up shortly before 7pm as drivers are warned to avoid the area

A map of the traffic build-up shortly before 7pm as drivers are warned to avoid the area

Commenting on X/Twitter, one witness said: ‘I was also driving southbound just after it happened and it was scary seeing cars and vans everywhere, and what looked like slush over the carriageway. 

‘Terrifying to see and don’t think I’ve ever driven home so carefully after that… Hope everyone is ok.’

Another posted on X and said the road looked like an ‘ice rink’. 

A spokesperson from South East Coast Ambulance service told ITV Meridian: ‘We remain at the scene of a multi-vehicle RTC on the M23 between junction 10 and 11. We are assessing and treating multiple casualties and urge people to avoid the area.’