A firefighter accused of speeding to an emergency in thick fog and causing a multiple pile-up has been cleared of dangerous driving.

Joseph Latty, of Carey Close, New Romney, walked free after the prosecution decided to offer no further evidence against him at Maidstone Crown Court.

Allister Walker, prosecuting, said the decision followed evidence given on behalf of the Crown by fire crew manager John Christie.

Firefighters had been called to a fatal accident on the A20 at Capel Le Ferne on the afternoon of Saturday, June 30 last year.

Mr Walker said another Scania appliance had left Folkestone fire station a few minutes earlier.

Crews had been warned about the foggy conditions and the first fire engine slowed to 15-30mph as it reached the back of the long tailback caused by the crash.

One of the firefighters radioed back to Mr Latty’s crew to tell them to take it easy.

Mr Walker said the first crew asked other drivers to create a gap so that emergency vehicles could get through. The fire engine went through slowly followed by a police car.

The second appliance, driven by 46-year-old Mr Latty, a firefighter in Folkestone for 20 years, arrived at speed in the centre of the road, said Mr Walker.

He was driving dangerously fast, he added.

“It was too late to brake and avoid a collision,” he said. “He bounced off and clipped the sides and wings of several vehicles either side, before crashing into the rear of the police vehicle with such force that it slammed into the other fire engine.”

Mr Latty’s appliance swerved and collided with an Audi estate car, before coming to rest at the central barrier. Debris caused damage to other vehicles.

Mr Latty had been driving fire engines for 17 years.

Mr Latty denied dangerous driving.

Judge Martin Joy directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict after Mr Walker said there had been a comprehensive review of the strength of the case and a conviction could no longer realistically be sought.

The accident the crew was driving to involved the death of Derek Bostock, 53, of Park Road, Cheriton. A verdict of accidental death was later recorded.