A serious multi-vehicle collision brought the M1 motorway to a grinding halt during Thursday's afternoon rush, creating travel chaos for thousands of commuters and triggering massive delays.
Emergency Response and Lane Closures
Emergency services rushed to the scene between junctions 23 and 22 southbound near Leicester after reports of a significant multi-vehicle incident. Police, fire crews, and ambulance teams all attended the scene, with one lane remaining completely blocked for over 90 minutes as crews worked to clear the wreckage and assist those involved.
Mounting Delays and Queuing Traffic
The collision sparked severe congestion stretching approximately seven miles back toward junction 24. Traffic monitoring systems showed stationary vehicles and crawling speeds as motorists faced extensive delays during what's typically one of the busiest travel periods.
National Highways issued an urgent alert warning drivers of significant delays and advising alternative routes where possible. The incident occurred at around 2:30 PM, perfectly timed to disrupt the early evening commute.
Recovery Operation Underway
Recovery vehicles were dispatched to the scene to remove damaged cars from the carriageway. Motorists reported seeing multiple emergency vehicles with flashing lights working at the scene as traffic backed up for miles behind the incident.
Drivers caught in the chaos took to social media to describe the scene, with one tweeting: "Absolute standstill on M1 southbound. Can see emergency lights in the distance but not moving an inch."
Gradual Recovery Expected
While all lanes have now reopened, residual delays are expected to continue through the evening rush hour as the backlog of traffic gradually clears. Commuters are being advised to allow extra journey time or consider alternative routes if traveling through the affected area.
