M40 crash J2 southbound

Crash on the M40 southbound at J2 on Wednesday 23 September 2026, from 14:18. Cleared at 18:48 after 4 h 31 min. Timeline of reports from TomTom, the motorway signs and National Highways.

Status

Cleared 18:48 on 23 Sept 2026, after 4 h 31 min

Location

M40 southbound · J2

Reported as

Collision

Lanes

Road closed

At its worst

Stationary traffic

Sources

TomTom ×15 · Motorway signs ×3 · National Highways ×6

Timeline

1. Wed 14:18 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic, Incident”, delay ~17 min
2. Wed 14:21 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic, Incident”, delay ~3 min
3. Wed 14:23 Motorway signs: “INCIDENT SLOW DOWN”
4. Wed 14:25 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~8 min
5. Wed 14:27 TomTom: road closed
6. Wed 14:27 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~4 min
7. Wed 14:27 TomTom: collision, “Incident”
8. Wed 14:28 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~16 min
9. Wed 14:29 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~2 min
10. Wed 14:29 TomTom: road closed, “Closed, Incident”
11. Wed 14:29 TomTom: road closed
12. Wed 14:29 TomTom: road closed
13. Wed 14:29 TomTom: road closed
14. Wed 14:32 TomTom: collision, “Incident”
15. Wed 14:49 TomTom: “Closed”
16. Wed 14:49 TomTom no longer reports it
17. Wed 14:49 All clear: no source reports it any more
18. Wed 14:50 National Highways: 1 of 2 lanes closed
19. Wed 14:50 National Highways: 1 of 5 lanes closed
20. Wed 15:16 TomTom: delay now ~6 min (was ~16)
21. Wed 15:19 National Highways: 1 of 2 lanes closed
22. Wed 15:19 National Highways: 1 of 5 lanes closed
23. Wed 15:30 TomTom: delay now ~17 min (was ~6)
24. Wed 15:31 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~16 min
25. Wed 15:34 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~1 min (reported again)
26. Wed 15:45 National Highways: 1 of 2 lanes closed
27. Wed 15:45 National Highways: 1 of 5 lanes closed
28. Wed 15:48 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~3 min (reported again)
29. Wed 15:50 Motorway signs: “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW”
30. Wed 15:51 Motorway signs: “INCIDENT SLOW DOWN”
31. Wed 15:56 Motorway signs no longer show “INCIDENT SLOW DOWN”
32. Wed 15:58 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~23 min
33. Wed 15:58 TomTom: delay now ~51 min (was ~21)
34. Wed 15:58 TomTom: delay now ~3 min (was ~16), “Queuing traffic”
35. Wed 16:19 National Highways: lane closure lifted
36. Wed 16:26 Motorway signs no longer show “INCIDENT SLOW DOWN”
37. Wed 16:26 Motorway signs no longer show “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW”
38. Wed 16:29 TomTom no longer reports it
39. Wed 16:29 All clear: no source reports it any more
40. Wed 18:34 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~1 min (reported again)
41. Wed 18:48 TomTom no longer reports it
42. Wed 18:48 All clear: no source reports it any more

Source reports

• Stationary traffic, Incident
• Incident
• Closed
• Stationary traffic
• Overhead signs read “INCIDENT SLOW DOWN” (3 signs; furthest along: M40 southbound between J2 and J1A).
• M40 J2 southbound access
• M40 southbound between J2 and J1A
• Queuing traffic
• Overhead signs read “INCIDENT SLOW DOWN” (1 sign; furthest along: M40 southbound between J3 and J2).
• Overhead signs read “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW” (1 sign; furthest along: M40 southbound between J2 and J1A).

Other recent incidents on the M40

• M40 reported crash J9 northboundyesterday 17:27 · cleared after 1 h 44 min
• M40 reported crash J9–J10 northboundyesterday 10:49 · cleared after 49 min
• M40 crash J5–J4 southboundyesterday 06:19 · cleared after 2 h 43 min
• M40 reported crash J3–J4 northboundyesterday 04:36 · cleared after 1 h 1 min
• M40 reported crash J12–J11 southboundMon 21:21 · cleared after 44 min
• M40 stopped traffic J2–J1A southboundMon 07:16 · cleared after 2 h 45 min
• M40 closed J1A–J2 southboundMon 06:01 · cleared after 3 h 6 min
• M40 reported crash J9 southboundSat 17:40 · cleared after 42 min
• M40 reported crash J9 southboundSat 00:06 · cleared after 41 min
• M40 reported crash J3A northboundFri 17:58 · cleared after 47 min

Live traffic and past incidents at M40 J2.

The sources don't report causes or injuries, so neither does this page. Times are UK time. For alerts, follow @motorways.me on Bluesky.