Police have revealed why roads are closed for so long after a serious crash, in the wake of this morning's crash on the M5 which has left one person dead, ten injured and the motorway closed.

The Story Behind a Motorway Collision , by Avon and Somerset police, recalls a fatal crash on 2013, and uses a timeline of the events of that day to explain why major roads are closed for several hours after fatal collsions.

"It's often difficult for people caught up in traffic jams on the motorway to understand why the road has to be closed for what appears to be a long time," write the police.

"We work hard to minimise disruption on the road network but as the timeline below shows, it's important for us and the family of the injured person(s) to understand exactly what happened.

Story Behind a Motorway Collision

At around 4am on 29th October 2013, two articulated lorries and a van collided between junctions 13 and 14 of the M5, near to Michaelwood services in South Gloucestershire. Sadly, one man had died in the collision.


Time Line

Story Behind a Motorway Collision

  1. 04:11hrs

    Call received into police control room

  2. 04:14hrs


  3. 04.16hrs


  4. 04:19hrs


  5. 04:28hrs


  6. 04:34hrs

    First roads policing officer arrives at the scene

  7. 04:35hrs

    South-bound carriageway is closed

  8. 04:56hrs


  9. 05:05hrs

    On call specialist road collision investigator is called by the SIO

  10. 05:49hrs


  11. 06:31hrs

    Police helicopter is requested to take aerial photographs of the scene

  12. 06:41hrs

    Specialist collision investigator arrives at the scene

  13. 06:53hrs

    SIO requests Fire Service to remove the body of the deceased

  14. 07:33hrs


  15. 07:45hrs


  16. 07:59hrs


  17. 08:26hrs


  18. 09:00hrs


  19. 09:12hrs


  20. 09:20hrs


  21. 10:10hrs


  22. 11.00hrs

    Senior investigating officer hands the scene over to the Highways Agency

  23. 11.30hrs

    One lane of the motorway is re-opened.