A large HGV burst into flames on the M5 near Bristol this morning, Wednesday, January 15, following a road traffic collision that has caused hours of mayhem for motorists. After an initial closure, rush-hour traffic had to be funnelled down one lane, causing gridlock.
The incident was first reported shortly after 6am, when Avon and Somerset Police were called to the scene of the multi-vehicle collision and vehicle fire, causing all traffic to be temporarily held on the M5 northbound.
A spokesperson for the fire service said: “Crews from Avonmouth, Southmead, and Patchway were called at 6.04am to reports of a road traffic collision on the M5 northbound, junction 17-18. On arrival, firefighters found a road traffic collision involving one large HGV, two small HGVs, and one van.
“The large HGV was well alight, and firefighters used two 45mm covering jets and one high pressure hose reel to extinguish the flames. Two firefighters wore breathing apparatus for safety. Firefighters remained to make the scene safe ahead of vehicle recovery. Avon and Somerset Police, National Highways, and the ambulance service were also in attendance.”
A police spokesperson said at 6.45am: “The M5 is closed northbound between J18A (M49) and J17 (Cribbs Causeway), following a four-vehicle collision that happened at about 6am today, Wednesday 15 January. Emergency services are at the scene. It’s not believed anyone has sustained any serious injury.”
The northbound carriageway remained blocked until around 7.20am. The knock-on effect once one lane had opened was delays of up to 70 minutes and miles of tailbacks, between Cribbs Causeway and Clevedon. All lanes are now open but the northbound exit slip road at Junction 17 for Cribbs Causeway A4018 is still closed and is expected to remain so for several hours.
As of the time of writing (10.45am) there were still delays. For all updates on the incident, visit our live blog here.