M25 Crash Closes Road For 24hrs

7 August 2011, 08:56 | Updated: 7 August 2011, 09:30

Traffic is flowing on a busy stretch of motorway after it reopened following a closure of more than 24 hours.

Sections of the M25 were closed on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year for holidaymakers after a crash that left three people seriously hurt.

The section between junctions seven and eight in Surrey was opened to traffic at around 9pm yesterday.

A large stretch of the road was closed after a smash on Friday, when a lorry travelling on the anti-clockwise carriageway suffered a burst tyre around 4.15pm, causing the driver to lose control.

The HGV hit the central reservation and a gantry, and shed its load onto the opposite carriageway.

This meant that the road had to be closed off, causing 28-mile tailbacks on Friday afternoon. Drivers were still being advised to avoid the area throughout today.

Three people were hurt in the crash. The lorry driver suffered serious leg injuries and was airlifted to King's College Hospital, south-east London.

Some of the aluminium steel bales that the lorry was carrying hit two cars.

The driver of a yellow Nissan Micra suffered serious leg injuries, while the front seat passenger suffered life-threatening injuries and was air-lifted to the Royal London Hospital in east London. The passenger was in a 'very critical' condition, Surrey Police said.

A bale also hit a silver Lexus, leaving the driver with minor injuries.

Yesterday, the stretch of motorway between junctions seven and eight remained closed into the afternoon, and then was reopened in stages from around 3pm.

The gouged road had to be resurfaced, and workers had to repair the gantry and central reservation before this could be done on the anti-clockwise side.

Gatwick Airport was advising passengers that they should be aware of delays and check the Highways Agency website for information.

Surrey Police is investigating the crash and appealing for witnesses.

The motorway closure led to tailbacks on Friday stretching 28 miles to junction 10 anti-clockwise and six miles between junctions five and six clockwise.

In the early hours of yesterday morning there were still traffic queues stretching a mile west of junction eight.