M40 crash: One person dead after 30 car pile-up on motorway in Oxfordshire

• published: 14 Feb 2015
• views: 58

At least one person has died in a motorway pile-up involving 30 cars on the M40 near Bicester Fire crews, police, ambulances and air ambulances were called to the motorway in Oxfordshire, between junctions 9 and 10, just before 7.50am after dozens of vehicles crashed. The accident came an hour after three men were killed on the M1 near Flitwick in Bedfordshire when their car was hit by a coach while it was stationary on the hard shoulder. Paramedics from the South Central Ambulance Service assessed more than 30 patients on the M40. "One person sadly died at the scene, one person sustained life-threatening injuries, six people were seriously injured and approximately 35 to 45 people have minor injuries," a Thames Valley Police spokesperson said. The cause of the crash has not been confirmed but pictures near the scene showed thick fog. Images from live traffic cameras showed miles of queues and fleets of emergency vehicles lining the road near the scene as a trickle of cars passed in the other direction. One of the people stuck in traffic, Zara Smith, wrote on Twitter that several lorries had jackknifed in poor visibility. "Lots of people were walking around but the police are working hard to turn us round," she added. The motorway has been closed northbound between the junctions, while several southbound lanes are shut along the same part. Drivers are reporting long tailbacks with traffic at a complete standstill and police are urging drivers to find a different route. An ambulance spokesperson said: "We were called at 7.48am to reports of a multiple road traffic collision on the M40, junctions 9 to 10 northbound. “I understand that there are about 30 vehicles involved. We are currently assessing in excess of 30 patients. “We have a lot of resources on the scene - ambulances, our helicopter ambulance, rapid response vehicles, our doctor and our hazardous area response team. Fire and police are also at the scene.” Thames Valley Roads Policing said on Twitter: “M40 northbound J9 will be closed for a number of hours following a fatal collision. Officers are working to relieve the traffic stuck northbound.” A spokesperson for the Highways Agency said all lanes northbound between junctions 9 and 10 may remain shut for several hours as police investigate the crash. West Ham is advising its fans to avoid both the M1 and M40 on their way to a match against West Brom. There are fears that Millwall fans trying to see their team play at Leeds could also be caught up in the gridlock. Meanwhile, two Boeing 747 fuselages being driven along the M4 and M5, causing delays and congestion. The large load is being taken from Kemble airfield in Gloucestershire to a scrapyard in Herefordshire. I created this video with the YouTube Slideshow Creator (http://www.youtube.com/upload)