Truck spill causes chaos on M1 with hundreds of cars stranded over 25km stretch

A truck believed to have suffered a mechanical fault has scattered sharp metal fragments across 25km of the M1 Pacific Motorway, puncturing tyres on hundreds of cars and forcing a major southbound closure as emergency crews and sweepers rush to the scene.

There's chaos on the M1 after a truck lost its load of scrap metal, and cars had their tyres shredded by the fragments. Pictures: News Corp/Supplied

The company behind the truck spill on the M1 Pacific Motorway says its insurance will cover the damage, after sharp metal fragments scattered across 25 kilometres of southbound lanes left hundreds of vehicles with flat or shredded tyres.

The incident began near Palmdale, north of Ourimbah, when a truck is believed to have unknowingly lost part of its metal load — known as “flock” — which punctured tyres as it spread all the way to the Mount White weigh station.

Daniel Falconer, General Manager of NJ Ashton Group, confirmed one of their trucks was responsible and said the likely cause was a mechanical fault, despite the trailer being properly secured.

“This is definitely one of our trucks … The pins on the back of the truck were locked, confirmed by the police,” Falconer said. “It seems to be just an accident … We’re very sorry for all the concern.”

He said the truck had been loaded the previous day and passed safety checks, but small sharp fragments of steel had somehow begun seeping out during the journey.

More uncovered shards. Picture: Facebook

A metal fragment in a tyre. Picture: Facebook

M1 Southbound blocked after a truck spilt metal debris. Picture: Facebook

“It’s just small steel … it’s puncturing the tyres … The driver had absolutely no idea,” he said. “Everything was locked. When the police turned up, they confirmed that.”

Falconer said the driver, a veteran with 20 years of experience, was devastated. “He just doesn’t know how it’s opened … He’s devastated.”

The company has deployed managers, mechanics and sweepers to assist affected drivers and clean up the motorway. Falconer added their insurance would cover damages, with several motorists already getting in touch. “They just contact us, go through our insurance, and everything will be covered,” he said.

The result has been disastrous for southbound drivers, with hundreds of cars forced into the breakdown lane after running over the sharp debris.

Transport for NSW co-ordinator-general Howard Collins said tyre damage had already forced hundreds of vehicles into the Mount White weigh station, with that number expected to rise.

“A number of vehicles have got further as, obviously, some have significant damage [and] had to stop immediately,” Collins told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

The metal load — known as “flock”. Picture: RFS

Hundreds of tyres were affected. Picture: RFS

“We’re working with the police now … I’ve sent as many of our trucks, our transport commanders, to assist as possible.”

He said early reports indicated the rear door of the truck’s trailer may have opened mid-journey, spilling metal debris across the motorway. Some drivers, he added, had suffered damage so severe that “all four tyres on some cars had been shredded”.

Cars and trucks pulled over in the Mount White heavy vehicle checking station. Picture: Live Traffic NSW

Metal fragments are being found in car tyres. Picture: Facebook

NSW Police Chief Inspector Thomas Barnes said the M1 southbound had to be closed to protect stranded drivers and prevent more damage.

“The first thing we needed to do was to make sure that the people stuck on the roadway were as safe as possible,” he said on 2GB.

The M1 is closed southbound direction. Picture: RFS

Authorities fear hundreds of vehicles may have been affected, with motorists urged to check tyres for slow leaks.

Peter Khoury from NRMA said extra tow crews have been dispatched to the scene.

“We’ve dispatched extra tow trucks into the area to support our teams already on the ground, and we’ve also brought in additional patrols — including some who were on leave — to ramp up our response,” he said on 2GB.

“We were recalled just before 6am when the incident first occurred and have been working from two angles since. If a vehicle has just one damaged tyre, our patrols can usually replace it on the side of the road. The problem is that many cars have multiple tyre failures — in those cases, we’re having to tow them because there’s not much else we can do.”

Diversions are in place. Picture: RFS

Khoury said call-out times had been affected by the scale of the incident.

“Tow wait times are currently about two hours, and about 90 minutes for patrols. But the fact the road was closed early on should help limit the overall damage.”

Drivers are being diverted via the Old Pacific Highway, and Barnes warned of “significant congestion” and risks from people changing tyres on the roadside.

Witnesses described a rapidly growing number of stranded vehicles, many with tyres torn.

“I just saw eight cars pulled over with flat tyres — and within a minute or two, that number had doubled,” Robert told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

“By the time I passed the next hill, there were at least 40 cars pulled up trying to change tyres.”

Transport for NSW and emergency services are now on scene, working to manage the chaos and begin the clean-up.

More shards of metal. Picture: Facebook

The debris reportedly spread across all lanes for more than 25 kilometres — from near Ourimbah through to Mount White.

Motorists are being urged to avoid the area or expect significant delays, and to drive with extreme caution if travelling through the Central Coast section of the M1 southbound.

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Originally published as Truck spill causes chaos on M1 with hundreds of cars stranded over 25km stretch