The southbound lanes were closed while the crash was cleared
The A34 has reopened following a pile-up involving a lorry, a car transporter and an HGV near Oxford on Tuesday.
The 44-tonne articulated lorry was travelling southbound, just north of the Botley interchange, when it lost control and overturned at about 4.30am.
A car transporter carrying a cargo of Jaguar cars and a 20-tonne HGV then smashed into the lorry, which left wreckage strewn over both carriageways.
The driver of the car transporter is in a serious condition in hospital.
‘Complete nightmare’
The other two drivers were also taken to hospital with minor injuries and shock.
The southbound carriageway was closed until Tuesday night while the debris and vehicles are cleared away.
AA spokeswoman Rebecca Rees said: "This morning has been a complete nightmare for motorists on the A34, with thousands of drivers caught up in queues.
"As well as problems on the A34 itself, the A40 was jammed solid and the A420 saw tailbacks of more than seven miles.
"The A34 is one of the most important routes in the country, connecting the south coast with the Midlands. It carries more traffic than it was designed for, and has no hard shoulder.
“As a result, when accidents occur, there is no emergency lane to clear the wreckage to.”
I hope the drivers involved are egtteing the medical treatment and support they need.
Now bearing in mind the time this accident happened, i do believe that it was more like 12- 1 am, that gave the emergency services enough time to assess the situation and obviously realise that diversions would need to be put in place. Evidently there were signs at the actual closure of the 34 but no where else. So you’d get on the A34 get down to where it was closed, eventually and would be diverted off. Wouldn’t it have been better for them to warn drivers from both the M40 and the M4 so that they can then divert from there rather than get into a place where the sheer volume of traffic at peak time would cause chaos. I can understand that the emergency services are pushed, but i think the diversion side of things was badly handled.
As you point out it is a very important stretch of road and should have been upgraded to motorway standard years ago…there have been no end of accidents on that road and this one doesnt surprise me…but should never have happened in the first place…i wish the drivers concerned a speedy recovery and their families a stress free time…
have a nice day
I was one of the lucky ones I deliver to Tesco, Didcot for 02.30am, so I missed the actual accident & I was also lucky about getting back I left Didcot at about 06.30am after collecting my tray from the traywash. I had Radio Oxford on & they said all around Hinksey & Botley was choas also some roads had lorries stuck in several places because they were to high or just to big for the small roads. I though if I can get to the Oxford south ring road I will & then head towards the A40/M40 at the Oxford services. Now I had no problem so why the Z/B din’t plod send the traffic around that way as it was clear. Oxford radio said that there were no signed diversions. All it would take is a car to divert you of at that junction & a sign saying access to A420 only for traffic wanting that road.
I had a similar problem last week on the A43 just before Northampton, The road had been closed because of a serious accident this was about 00.45am a little sign sent you off down a back road NOW I didn’t know the road I was being sent on had several other vehicles behind me I ended up in a 7.5t limit I just carried on because no other signs. If plod had closed the A43 of at the A14 junction I could have gone round Wellingborough.
there was also a major accident on the flouch roundabout Tues afternoon blocking the woodhead, aparently (but unconfirmed) a tanker rolled over and there was a fatal accident
It does make me mad that the old bill wont put diversions up as was said all it said road closed i came down the 34 round the ring road of oxford it still took 2 hours but there was no diversion route posted,and outside BMW was a broken down seven and half tonner right on the lights doh!!
I had similar thoughts the other day when the M1 was closed ( both ways for a short while) at junction 30. I took the A61 through Chesterfield which was very slow and heavily congested. But there were no diversions posted no help to keep the traffic moving. I wouldn’t mind but this is not unusual, there are many accidents in the area of J30. So contigency plans of some sort would be handy.
Oddsodz, I must have been near you around that time , I passed that 7.5 tonner too.
I came back northbound on the A34, passed the scene at about 16.30 and they were still clearing the load off the road at that time.The truck that had gone through the barrier from north to southbound carriageway was still there and I tell you that at the time my heart sank as the cab was in such a mess that I would have thought that no-one would have got out of it alive. reading the top post I see that at the time of the report there were no fatalities which is good news and I just hope that the drivers make a quick and full recovery.
I picked up signs on the gantry’s saying that the 34 was closed up on the M42 round jct3.
Phew, I must have been lucky then, I went through that stretch on the A34 southbound around 03.45, no probs at all. Hard to believe that lot happened.
Feel sorry for those involved and those caught up in the jams.
Just an idea with all the new gizmo’s they put in trucks which some are totally needless why cant they fit Satnav or even traffic master in as standard so we can get round this type of thing.
I just carried on because no other signs. If plod had closed the A43 of at the A14 junction I could have gone round Wellingborough.
