M6 crash J23–J22 southbound

Crash on the M6 southbound at J23–J22 on Sunday 18 October 2026, from 21:57. Still reported at 06:55 UK time. Timeline of reports from the motorway signs, TomTom and National Highways.

Status

Live since yesterday 21:57 (8 h 58 min)

Location

M6 southbound · J23–J22

Reported as

Collision

Lanes

3 of 4 lanes closed

At its worst

Delay ~16 min

Sources

Motorway signs ×12 · TomTom ×4 · National Highways ×4

Timeline

1. yesterday 21:57 National Highways: 6 of 4 lanes closed
2. yesterday 22:00 Motorway signs: “VEHICLE FIRE”
3. yesterday 22:00 National Highways: 3 of 4 lanes closed
4. yesterday 22:05 Motorway signs: “VEHICLE FIRE”
5. yesterday 22:14 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~5 min
6. yesterday 22:18 TomTom: delay now ~11 min (was ~5), “Stationary traffic”
7. yesterday 22:18 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Stationary traffic”, delay ~9 min
8. yesterday 22:23 TomTom: delay now ~14 min (was ~9)
9. yesterday 22:31 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
10. yesterday 22:37 TomTom no longer reports it
11. yesterday 22:37 Motorway signs no longer show “VEHICLE FIRE”
12. yesterday 23:07 Motorway signs no longer show “VEHICLE FIRE”
13. yesterday 23:07 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
14. yesterday 23:50 Motorway signs: “INCIDENT [HCA2]”
15. yesterday 23:50 Motorway signs: “INCIDENT [HCA2]”
16. yesterday 23:54 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~3 min (reported again)
17. yesterday 23:59 TomTom no longer reports it
18. 00:04 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~3 min (reported again)
19. 00:13 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~7 min
20. 00:13 TomTom: “Queuing traffic, Lane closed”
21. 00:17 TomTom no longer reports it
22. 00:31 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
23. 00:37 Motorway signs no longer show “VEHICLE FIRE”
24. 00:37 Motorway signs no longer show “INCIDENT [HCA2]”
25. 01:07 Motorway signs no longer show “INCIDENT [HCA2]”
26. 01:07 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
27. 01:37 Motorway signs no longer show “INCIDENT [HCA2]”
28. 04:01 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
29. 04:26 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION” (reported again)
30. 04:30 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
31. 04:38 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION” (reported again)
32. 04:38 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
33. 05:18 National Highways: 6 of 4 lanes closed
34. 05:38 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION”
35. 05:39 Motorway signs: “STRANDED VEHICLE”
36. 05:43 TomTom: collision, “Stationary traffic, Incident, Hard shoulder closed”, delay ~10 min
37. 05:47 TomTom: delay now ~16 min (was ~10)
38. 05:52 TomTom: delay now ~4 min (was ~16), “Slow traffic, Incident, Hard shoulder closed”
39. 05:57 TomTom no longer reports it
40. 06:08 Motorway signs no longer show “STRANDED VEHICLE”

Source reports

• Overhead signs read “VEHICLE FIRE” (4 signs; furthest along: M6 northbound between J22 and J23).
• Stationary traffic
• Queuing traffic, Lane closed
• M6 southbound between J23 and J22
• M6 northbound between J22 and J23
• M6 northbound within J23
• Overhead signs read “VEHICLE FIRE” (2 signs; furthest along: M6 northbound between J22 and J23).
• Overhead signs read “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION” (1 sign; furthest along: M6 southbound between J23 and J22).
• Overhead signs read “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION” (1 sign; furthest along: M6 northbound within J22).
• Overhead signs read “VEHICLE FIRE” (1 sign; furthest along: M6 northbound between J22 and J23).
• Overhead signs read “INCIDENT [HCA2]” (6 signs; furthest along: M6 northbound between J22 and J23).
• Overhead signs read “INCIDENT [HCA2]” (1 sign; furthest along: M6 southbound between J23 and J22).
• Queuing traffic
• Overhead signs read “INCIDENT [HCA2]” (4 signs; furthest along: M6 northbound between J22 and J23).
• Overhead signs read “REPORT OF OBSTRUCTION” (1 sign; furthest along: M6 northbound between J22 and J23).
• Slow traffic, Incident, Hard shoulder closed
• Overhead signs read “STRANDED VEHICLE” (3 signs; furthest along: M6 southbound between J23 and J22).

Other recent incidents on the M6

• M6 stopped traffic J25–J26 northbound06:02 · Live
• M6 stopped traffic J2104:57 · cleared after 46 min
• M6 closed J24–J23 southboundyesterday 22:59 · cleared after 2 h 16 min
• M6 crash J9yesterday 19:16 · cleared after 1 h 4 min
• M6 crash J39–J40 northboundyesterday 12:12 · cleared after 52 min
• M6 crash J2–J3 northboundyesterday 11:40 · cleared after 1 h 56 min
• M6 crash J15–J14 southboundSat 22:48 · cleared after 2 h 13 min
• M6 stopped traffic J6–J7 northboundSat 19:02 · cleared after 1 h 33 min
• M6 crash J8 northboundSat 15:50 · cleared after 1 h 38 min
• M6 reported crash J18–J19 northboundSat 12:41 · cleared after 47 min

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