M1 crash J20 northbound

Cleared Cleared at 16:26 on 23 Sept 2026, after 3 h 3 min.

Crash on the M1 northbound at J20 on Wednesday 23 September 2026, from 13:23. Cleared at 16:26 after 3 h 3 min. Timeline of reports from TomTom and the motorway signs.

1. !

   M1 northbound · J20

   Collision

   Road closed · Wed 13:23–Wed 16:26 (cleared after 3 h 3 min) · delay ~50 min · queue 4.4 mi

   TomTom ×9 · Motorway signs

See the M1 on the live map M1 traffic now

Timeline

1. Wed 13:23 TomTom: obstruction or hazard, “Vehicle fire”
2. Wed 13:23 TomTom: obstruction or hazard, “Closed, Vehicle fire”, road closed
3. Wed 13:34 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~3 min
4. Wed 13:48 TomTom: collision, “Incident”
5. Wed 13:49 TomTom: road closed
6. Wed 13:54 TomTom: delay now ~36 min (was ~3), “Stationary traffic, Incident”
7. Wed 14:08 TomTom: delay now ~64 min (was ~36), “Stationary traffic”
8. Wed 14:41 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~3 min
9. Wed 14:41 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~3 min
10. Wed 14:46 Motorway signs: “COLLISION SLOW DOWN”
11. Wed 15:31 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~9 min (reported again)
12. Wed 15:45 TomTom: “Stationary traffic”
13. Wed 15:46 TomTom: collision, “Accident, Lane closed”
14. Wed 15:48 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~4 min
15. Wed 15:59 TomTom: delay now ~15 min (was ~10)
16. Wed 16:26 Motorway signs no longer show “COLLISION SLOW DOWN”
17. Wed 16:26 TomTom no longer reports it
18. Wed 16:26 All clear: no source reports it any more

What the sources said

• Vehicle fire
• Closed, Vehicle fire
• Stationary traffic
• Incident
• Closed
• Overhead signs read “COLLISION SLOW DOWN” (1 sign; furthest along: M1 northbound between J20 and J21).
• Queuing traffic
• Accident, Lane closed

Other recent incidents on the M1

• M1 crash J22–J21A southbound · 15:12, cleared after 1 h 6 min
• M1 reported crash J43–J42 southbound · 11:05, cleared after 41 min
• M1 crash J47 northbound · 03:39, cleared after 35 min
• M1 reported crash J8 northbound · 02:20, cleared after 54 min
• M1 closed J12–J13 · yesterday 22:23, cleared after 39 min
• M1 crash J22–J23 northbound · yesterday 14:19, cleared after 13 h 29 min
• M1 crash J29–J28 southbound · yesterday 08:33, cleared after 1 h 37 min
• M1 crash J8–J9 northbound · Thu 15:38, cleared after 5 h
• M1 crash J39 northbound · Wed 18:41, cleared after 1 h 46 min
• M1 reported crash J21A–J21 southbound · Wed 16:09, cleared after 47 min

About this page

This page shows what the data sources reported about this event and when, merged from every source that reported it at the same place. It doesn't say what caused it or whether anyone was hurt: no source reports that. Times are UK time. For live alerts, follow @motorways.me on Bluesky.