Two teens die in crash on Old Ferry Road, Iwade

Two Teenagers Die in Iwade Crash

Two teenagers who died in a crash have been named locally. Chloe Naylor, 16, and a 17-year-old boy named Adam were killed after a blue Ford Fiesta came off the carriageway near a bend in Old Ferry Road, Iwade, near Sittingbourne.

Officers attended the scene alongside paramedics, fire crews, and an air ambulance at around 8:30 PM on Saturday, January 3. Two of the occupants, a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, were later declared deceased. A third occupant, a 16-year-old girl, was taken to the hospital for treatment and has since been discharged.

Earlier this week, floral tributes were left at the scene of the crash. Since then, two separate GoFundMe pages have been set up for the pair, raising a combined amount of more than £10,000 for their families.

Tributes and Fundraising Efforts

One of the GoFundMe pages was created by friend Eleanor Olsen. It stated: “You may have heard about the tragic death of my daughter’s best friend Chloe, on Saturday, the 3rd of January, in a fatal car accident. Chloe was just 16 years old. Chloe’s mum, Donna, has been a good friend to me over the years, helping me when I was in the hospital, and as many of you know, she has a heart of gold.”

“I am therefore creating a GoFundMe page as Donna would like to have a horse and carriage at Chloe’s funeral so Chloe can go as a princess.” Meanwhile, the 17-year-old boy who died has been named locally as Adam and was described as “always smiling and full of life.”

In a tribute on his page, Sam Thurman-Newell said they were “heartbroken.” He added: “Adam was a very special friend, and our boys are absolutely devastated by this heartbreaking loss. Adam was always smiling and full of life, and his loss has left such a huge hole in everyone who knew him, but especially Adam’s parents.”

“We have created this GoFundMe page to help support Adam’s family with funeral costs – something no family should ever have to face.”

Police Appeal for Information

Police are still appealing for dashcam or CCTV footage. It is understood the teenagers are all from the local area, with one being named as a Year 12 student at Fulston Manor School in Sittingbourne. Police are continuing to appeal for anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the Iwade crash or who has relevant dashcam or CCTV footage.

The country road, used by drivers traveling between Sittingbourne and Medway, was closed for several hours between the junctions with Raspberry Hill Lane and Sheppey Way. The remains of other cars from previous accidents remain at the scene, with Iwade parish councillor Kelvin Rivers-Simpson saying something needs to be done.

Community Concerns

Speaking to KentOnline, he said: “It is very dangerous. The parish council is looking at doing something in that corner because it is dangerous. It is on the highways improvement plan. They were talking about a roundabout one time, but things move very slowly. That will be actively dealt with in the not-too-distant future.”

The accident is one of several tragic incidents in the Swale/Medway area in recent weeks. On Christmas Eve, a woman in her 20s died in a crash on the M2 near the motorway services and turn-off for Gillingham. Then, just two days before New Year’s, an 89-year-old great-grandfather died after he was carried more than a mile on top of a car, which crashed into him in Gillingham. Last Sunday, January 4, a motorcyclist was killed on the same stretch of the M2 as the previous incident.