By Technocrat’ Magazine | September 19, 2025
The M5 motorway, Britain’s vital artery from the Midlands to the sun-soaked Southwest, turned into a nightmare of twisted metal and stalled lives overnight. In a double-whammy of devastation, two serious multi-vehicle collisions erupted on the Devon stretch between junctions 27 (Tiverton) and 28 (Cullompton), injuring several people gravely and slamming the brakes on thousands of commuters.
As emergency crews swarmed the scene under flashing lights, the full closure—now stretching into its 12th hour—has sparked chaos: seven-hour tailbacks, diverted court cases, and a ripple of fury from stranded drivers venting on social media. With the road expected shut through Friday morning, this is the M5’s darkest hour in months, raising urgent questions about safety on one of the UK’s busiest routes.
Crash Chaos Unfolds: Timeline of the Twin Tragedies
It started like a bad dream at 9:50pm Thursday: A three-vehicle pile-up southbound near Willand, flipping cars and sending one man to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Just 80 minutes later, at 11:10pm, another smash—details hazy but no less brutal—unfolded within two miles, engulfing both carriageways in a web of wreckage and debris.
Devon and Cornwall Police descended en masse, airlifting victims and sealing off the 10-mile stretch by 10:30pm. “Serious injuries” is the official line, with witnesses describing “helicopters landing amid screams” and “cars mangled like tin cans.”
By dawn, the scene was a forensic puzzle: recovery teams hauling away vehicles under floodlights, while volunteer doctors from BASICS Devon—already stretched by a week’s worth of emergencies—praised their responders’ “swift action in the chaos.”
No fatalities reported yet, but the human toll mounts: At least five hospitalized, per early tallies, with police appealing for dashcam gold to piece together the “how and why.”
Gridlock Hell: Delays, Diversions, and Desperate Drivers
What began as a late-night hiccup exploded into Friday’s rush-hour apocalypse. The full bidirectional closure—rare for the M5—has funneled traffic onto creaking Devon backroads, birthing queues snaking nine miles back to Bridgwater.
National Highways warns of two-plus hour delays, with some motorists trapped overnight in what one called a “seven-hour M5 nightmare.”
A labyrinth:
- Northbound: Exit at J28 (Cullompton), snake via A373 and A361 to rejoin at J27.
- Southbound: Bail at J27 onto A38, loop through Tiverton, and pray for mercy.
But the pain radiates: Plymouth Crown Court cases involving HMP Bristol inmates? Pushed till afternoon, stranding defendants in transit vans.
Bristol Airport runs? Nightmare detours add 90 minutes. And locals? Mid-Devon villages choke on diverted HGVs, with one X user raging: “M5 closed, A38 a car park—thanks for turning my commute into Mad Max.”
| Impact Zone | Disruption Scale | Real-World Hit |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic Queues | 9+ miles, 2-3 hr delays | Commuters from Exeter to Taunton gridlocked; fuel stops overwhelmed. |
| Diversions | A38/A361 overload | Local roads jammed; villages like Willand see 200% traffic surge. |
| Public Services | Court delays till 2pm | Justice system stalls; ambulances rerouted, straining Devon Air Ambulance. |
| Economy | £millions in lost hours | Businesses in Cullompton/Tiverton report staff no-shows; logistics firms scramble. |
Data: National Highways, Inrix, Devon Live. Projections for peak disruption 8-10am Friday.
Echoes of M5’s Grim Past: Fatigue, Fog, or Foul Play?
The M5’s no stranger to sorrow—last month’s multi-vehicle mess near J22 (Burnham-on-Sea) trapped drivers for hours, echoing this Devon double-tap.
Causes? Fog-shrouded speculation points to poor visibility, driver fatigue post-rush hour, or a rogue lorry—police mum till forensics wrap.Witnesses whisper of “sudden swerves” and “one car careening across lanes,” fueling calls for more gantries and AI speed cams on this holiday hotspot.Social media’s ablaze: #M5Crash trends with dashcam clips (blurred for sensitivity) and memes of “Devon traffic: where time stops for tea.”
One viral post: “Stuck since 10pm, kids crying, no loo breaks—fix this road!”
BASICS Devon’s shoutout to their “incredibly proud” volunteers? A silver lining in the sludge.
Road to Recovery: When Will the M5 Breathe Again?
As of 9am Friday, closures hold firm for “accident investigation work,” with partial reopening eyed post-lunch—if forensics play nice.
National Highways deploys extra crews for cleanup, but rain forecasts could drag it out. Police urge patience: “Your dashcam could save lives—share it safely.”For the injured, it’s a long haul: Hospitals in Exeter and Taunton brace for rehab marathons. And for Devon? A stark reminder that 160 miles of asphalt carry dreams—and dangers—to the Southwest’s shores.This M5 meltdown isn’t just tarmac tragedy; it’s a siren for smarter roads. As one driver posted: “Get home safe, everyone. But seriously, when do we upgrade this lifeline?”
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