M6, M65 and M61 crash chaos as drivers 'fail to negotiate sudden change'

Crash on the M6 northbound around Preston on January 25
-Credit:North Yorkshire Weather Updates


There was chaos on the motorways in Lancashire this weekend due to the torrential weather brought by Storm Eowyn.

The region was battered with strong winds, heavy rain and hail resulting in incidents on the M6, M61, M65 and A56. In a statement issued today (Janaury 28), Lancashire Police said they received 76 reports of collisions on Saturday (January 25), including 57 before 6pm.

Officers said many of the collisions were 'caused by drivers failing to negotiate the sudden change in weather conditions'. They included an eight-vehicle collision on the M61 southbound and then a six-vehicle collision on the northbound side just two minutes later.

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Emergency services were also called to the M61 entry slip road to junction 9 after another driver 'lost control of the car and found themselves facing the wrong way in the live lane'. Meanwhile on the M65, a car crashed into the central reservation and also 'found itself stuck in the live lane'.

The A56 saw two 'almost simultaneous collisions on opposite sides' in the Rising Bridge area, while on the M6 near Preston a vehicle skidded on the ice, leading to a three-car crash. In a separate incident near Leyland, a car crashed in the slush and hit the central reservation of the M6 and another car.

Police said this led others 'moving to avoid each other' and resulted in them 'colliding with each other'. LancsLive also reported how traffic was held for more than 30 minutes following a crash on the M65 between Accrington and Blackburn.

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Officers said all of the collision were either damage only or resulted in 'minor injuries'. They have now issued guidance to help drivers adapt their style in the winter weather and avoid future incidents.

Police were called to incidents near Leyland and Preston on the M6 on Saturday
Police were called to incidents near Leyland and Preston on the M6 on Saturday -Credit:North Yorkshire Weather Updates

In a statement on Facebook, a force spokesperson said: "How many road traffic collisions do you think our officers get called to in a day? On Saturday, 25th January, we received 76 reports of collisions, 57 of which happened before 6pm.

"Thankfully, they were either damage only, or people suffered minor injuries. Many of these collisions were caused by drivers failing to negotiate the sudden change in weather conditions.

"The M61 saw two different collisions, on both sides of the carriageway. We received a report of an eight-vehicle collision on the southbound side, and just two minutes later, a report of a six-vehicle collision on the northbound side.

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"Just seven minutes after that, on the entry slip road to junction 9 in Clayton Brook, another driver lost control of the car and found themselves facing the wrong way in the live lane. On the M65, a car crashed into the central reservation, and also found itself stuck in the live lane.

"The A56 saw two, almost simultaneous collisions on opposite sides of the carriageway in the Rising Bridge area. On the M6, between junctions 29 and 30, a vehicle skidded on the ice, leading to a three car crash, then at junction 28, a car crashed in the slush, hitting the central reservation, and another car, leading to others moving to avoid each other, and subsequently colliding with each other.

"You may wonder why we’re telling you about these damage only, or minor injury collisions. Well, we wanted to use this time, and these examples to highlight the importance of driving safely and adapting your driving style in the winter weather."

Police top tips

  • If the Matrix boards are indicating a problem ahead, slow down – even if you can’t see the hazard ahead of you.

  • Consider the winter weather and remember that the conditions can change really quickly when it is cold, so make sure your vehicle is safe to travel in all weathers.

  • Adapt your driving to suit the weather…make sure you’re staying within the speed limit (which you should be doing regardless of the weather!) and slow down in bad conditions like snow and ice.

  • If you spot someone driving dangerously, or putting other road users in danger, if a crime is ongoing, or if someone needs immediate emergency service assistance on the roads, call 999.

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