Commuters faced travel chaos on Friday afternoon as a serious incident brought the M40 motorway to a standstill near Warwick. An articulated lorry overturned completely, blocking the southbound carriageway and causing massive disruption during the busy rush hour period.
The dramatic incident occurred between Junction 15 for Warwick and Junction 14 for Leamington Spa, with emergency services rushing to the scene shortly after reports came in. Police confirmed they were dealing with a "serious collision" involving the heavy goods vehicle.
Major Traffic Disruption
The southbound carriageway was completely closed to allow recovery teams to safely remove the overturned vehicle. Motorists faced lengthy delays stretching back several miles as traffic was diverted via local routes.
National Highways issued a severe alert warning drivers to expect significant disruption and to allow extra journey time if travelling through the area. Traffic cameras showed stationary vehicles backed up for miles as recovery operations got underway.
Emergency Response
Multiple emergency service vehicles attended the scene, including police, ambulance crews, and specialist recovery teams. The complex operation to right the overturned lorry and clear the carriageway was expected to take several hours.
Drivers were advised to avoid the area entirely if possible and to seek alternative routes. Those already caught in the queues faced extended waiting times as recovery work continued into the evening.
Motorists were urged to check live traffic updates before travelling and to follow signed diversion routes while the clear-up operation continued.
