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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| M25 and Dartford Crossing closed after lorry crash | M25 and Dartford Crossing closed after lorry crash |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Motorists on the M25 faced hours of delays after two lorries crashed. | Motorists on the M25 faced hours of delays after two lorries crashed. |
| Huge tailbacks formed in the wake of the smash between junctions 30 and 31, with dozens of stranded drivers spending part of the night in an Ikea. | |
| One of the lorries involved in the collision near the Dartford Crossing at about 14:35 BST on Tuesday overturned and ended up down an embankment. | One of the lorries involved in the collision near the Dartford Crossing at about 14:35 BST on Tuesday overturned and ended up down an embankment. |
| No-one is believed to have been badly hurt in the crash, but the motorway was closed overnight. | No-one is believed to have been badly hurt in the crash, but the motorway was closed overnight. |
| The road reopened at about 05:45. | The road reopened at about 05:45. |
| Among those stuck in the traffic was Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, who told BBC Radio Kent she had been delayed for four and a half hours. | Among those stuck in the traffic was Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, who told BBC Radio Kent she had been delayed for four and a half hours. |
| "I came from Leeds so I'm on 10-hour journey so far. We're on the slip road from Lakeside getting on to the M25," she added. | "I came from Leeds so I'm on 10-hour journey so far. We're on the slip road from Lakeside getting on to the M25," she added. |
| "I've been given chocolates by someone because I'm celebrating 14 years today of my 1500m win in Athens. I was meant to have a G and T tonight and now I'm stuck on the motorway with these lovely people." | "I've been given chocolates by someone because I'm celebrating 14 years today of my 1500m win in Athens. I was meant to have a G and T tonight and now I'm stuck on the motorway with these lovely people." |
| Joanna Stratton, who was travelling from North Yorkshire to Uckfield, East Sussex, with her two-year-old daughter, said it took nine hours to travel just six miles. | |
| She added: "It was one of the most horrific delays I've ever been in. There were motorbikes whizzing around, a man in a wheelchair had abandoned his car. It was so dangerous. | |
| "Thankfully I'm still breastfeeding my daughter but I ran out of food and credit on my phone. Lots of people were sharing food and water, but I felt quite vulnerable." | |
| Ben Glander also tweeted that he had been stuck for hours. | Ben Glander also tweeted that he had been stuck for hours. |
| Other people on social media reported being stuck at Ikea in Thurrock. | |
| Esther Rollinson said on Twitter that she and her daughter had been "trapped in Ikea" due to the tailbacks from the crash for "5hrs +counting". | |
| An Ikea spokeswoman said the store stayed open later to accommodate stranded shoppers. | |
| "Following a road incident on the M25 yesterday afternoon, we understand that some people opted to wait in Ikea Lakeside rather than in their cars," she added. | |
| "We accommodated them until around 11pm rather than our normal closing time of 10pm, with no-one staying the night." | |
| After the road reopened, Highways England said some delays remained on the M25 clockwise approaching junction 30. | After the road reopened, Highways England said some delays remained on the M25 clockwise approaching junction 30. |
| The Dartford Crossing consists of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge and two tunnels, linking Dartford with Thurrock, Essex. | The Dartford Crossing consists of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge and two tunnels, linking Dartford with Thurrock, Essex. |