M6 crash J6–J5 southbound

Crash on the M6 southbound at J6–J5 on Wednesday 21 October 2026, from 05:59. Cleared at 09:43 after 3 h 44 min. Timeline of reports from the motorway signs and TomTom.

Status

Cleared 09:43 on 21 Oct 2026, after 3 h 44 min

Location

M6 southbound · J6–J5

Reported as

Collision

At its worst

Stationary traffic

Sources

Motorway signs ×5 · TomTom ×8

Timeline

1. 05:59 Motorway signs: “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW”
2. 06:31 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~3 min
3. 06:45 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~9 min
4. 06:50 Motorway signs: “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW”
5. 06:51 Motorway signs no longer show “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW”
6. 07:08 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~4 min
7. 07:26 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
8. 07:30 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
9. 07:35 TomTom: delay now ~22 min (was ~16), “Queuing traffic”
10. 07:37 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF PEDESTRIANS”
11. 07:40 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~4 min
12. 07:49 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
13. 07:49 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~5 min
14. 08:02 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
15. 08:04 Motorway signs: “STRANDED VEHICLE”
16. 08:07 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
17. 08:12 Motorway signs: “REPORT OF COLLISION”
18. 08:16 TomTom: delay now ~14 min (was ~8), “Queuing traffic”
19. 08:21 TomTom: “Stationary traffic”
20. 08:21 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF PEDESTRIANS”
21. 08:34 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~7 min
22. 08:39 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
23. 08:44 TomTom: delay now ~11 min (was ~17)
24. 08:44 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Slow traffic”, delay ~6 min
25. 08:48 TomTom: “Queuing traffic”
26. 08:51 Motorway signs no longer show “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW”
27. 08:51 Motorway signs no longer show “REPORT OF COLLISION”
28. 08:51 Motorway signs no longer show “STRANDED VEHICLE”
29. 08:53 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
30. 09:03 TomTom: queueing traffic, “Queuing traffic”, delay ~6 min
31. 09:20 TomTom: “Slow traffic”
32. 09:43 TomTom no longer reports it
33. 09:43 All clear: no source reports it any more

Source reports

• Overhead signs read “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW” (1 sign; furthest along: M6 southbound between J6 and J5).
• Slow traffic
• Queuing traffic
• Overhead signs read “STRANDED VEHICLE-SLOW” (3 signs; furthest along: M6 northbound between J4A and J5).
• Overhead signs read “REPORT OF PEDESTRIANS” (1 sign; furthest along: M6 J6 southbound exit).
• Overhead signs read “REPORT OF COLLISION” (8 signs; furthest along: M6 southbound between J6 and J5).
• Overhead signs read “STRANDED VEHICLE” (2 signs; furthest along: M6 northbound between J3 and J3A).

Other recent incidents on the M6

• M6 stopped traffic J10–J10A06:17 · Live
• M6 crash J20 southbound06:17 · Live
• M6 reported crash J28 northboundyesterday 23:57 · cleared after 52 min
• M6 crash J17–J16 southboundyesterday 19:41 · cleared after 2 h 17 min
• M6 crash J31A–J31 southboundyesterday 16:46 · cleared after 2 h 32 min
• M6 stopped traffic J20–J21 northboundyesterday 13:36 · cleared after 5 h 32 min
• M6 crash J6 northboundyesterday 12:03 · cleared after 7 h 46 min
• M6 stopped traffic J28–J27 southboundyesterday 11:28 · cleared after 1 h 48 min
• M6 stopped traffic J4–J4A northboundyesterday 10:50 · cleared after 8 h 28 min
• M6 crash J32–J33 northboundyesterday 10:40 · cleared after 2 h 6 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.