Crash with 3 B-doubles and ute closes northbound lane on M1

There is heavy traffic on the Pacific Motorway this morning after a four-vehicle crash.

Major traffic delays are expected to continue as the clean up on the Pacific Highway is ongoing.

Update 3.20pm: Firefighters have reported that they were recalled to attend to a Hazmat incident at the scene of an earlier crash on the M1 today.

According to a post on social media by Fire and Rescue Kingscliff, at 10:51 AM on Thursday March 18, 2021, Kingscliff firefighters were called back to the earlier accident along with Fire and Rescue NSW Station 468 Tweed Heads Hazmat Van to manage the spill of oil leaking out of the prime movers engine.

According to firefighters, the oil was flowing into a cane drain which is full of water due to recent rain.

Crews used booms, absorbent material and specialised bins to render the oil safe.

Firefighters also said this was, "a long drawn out incident, however the crews on scene along with Tweed Coast Rural Fire Brigade did a great job cleaning up the spillage."

The M1 highway still remains at one lane open with a lot of traffic built up, the post said.

Please allow extra time for travel.

More to come.  

Major traffic delays are expected to continue as the clean up on the Pacific Highway is ongoing.

Update 9.30am: Major traffic delays are expected to continue as the clean up on the Pacific Highway is ongoing. 

Fire and Rescue Kingscliff posted on social media stating there will be ongoing delays after the hazmat Van were deployed to assist.   "Booms were deployed around the truck to capture any leaking fluids, as the diesel tanks had been punctured on its exit of the highway," the post said.    "Heavy haulage is on route to the accident, but will be some time before both lanes will be reopen.   "Please use caution when passing the incident."  

Emergency services have converged on the M1 at Clothiers Creek after a crash which involved three B-doubles and utility in the early hours of March 18, 2021.

Update, 9am: Rural Fire Service Superintendent David Cooke said the cargo being carried in the B-double which ploughed 40m through a cane field before crashing into a canal this morning was not carrying hazardous goods.

Superintendent Cooke said emergency services including firefighters were at the scene of the four vehicle incident by 5.46am on March 18. 2021 at Clothiers Creek.  

"It seems that a ute had pulled over to assist the first breakdown of the truck in the breakdown lane," he said.

 

3 B-doubles, ute crash on M1: Heavy traffic, delays

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"Then another B-double collided with the truck and ute before it went crashing off the highway through around 40m of canefield before being stuck in the mud and water of the canal."  

Superintendent Cooke said the size and position of the B-Double will make recovery difficult and time consuming.

"However, Hazmat have left the scene and reported that the cargo on the B-double is not hazardous goods," he said.

 "The load was composed of fresh limes, clothing and aerosols and is intact.  

"It is so lucky no-one was injured."  

It is understood that Rural Fire Service had two appliances and 10 crew members in total from brigades including Cudgen and Tweed Coast in attendance, while Fire and Rescue had two crew including a Hazmat vehicle at the incident.  

More to come.

Original story: Emergency services have converged on the M1 at Clothiers Creek after a crash which involved three B-doubles and a utility in the early hours of Thursday, March 18.

Tweed Byron Police District Inspector Matt Keogh said it was "very fortunate that no-one was injured."

Speaking from the scene of the incident, Inspector Keogh said the incident, which occurred around 5am on Thursday, appeared to have been caused by one B-double losing a tyre on the M1.

"At 5am on Thursday a northbound B-double broke down near Clothiers Creek on the M1 after it lost a tyre," he said.

"The a second B-double ran over the tyre and became disabled.

"A third B-double then impacted the driver's side with a utility with was parked and very fortunately, unattended on the northbound side of the road.

"The third B-double than left the roadway and has ended up in a canal on the western side of the northbound lane of the M1."

Emergency services have converged on the M1 at Clothiers Creek after a crash which involved three B-doubles and utility in the early hours of March 18, 2021.

Inspector Keogh said no-one had been injured.

"However, one lane of the M1 northbound is closed while we try to remove the two broken down B-doubles and recover the third from the canal," he said.

"It is expected this lane closure will be in place for most of the day so we advise drivers to avoid the area and to slow down in these conditions."

 Kingscliff and Tweed Heads firefighters were also in attendance at the incident,

More to come.