**Motorists Relive Terrifying M60 Pile-Up as Lorry Ploughs Across Motorway in Multi-Vehicle Crash**
Panic-stricken drivers have described the harrowing moments when vehicles swerved to avoid a lorry that veered across the M60, setting off an eight-vehicle pile-up on Monday morning. The major collision, which occurred just before 11:30am on 7 July, resulted in widespread disruption, extensive motorway damage, and a remarkable emergency response.
Emergency services were dispatched rapidly to the scene between junction 27 at Portwood roundabout and junction one at the Stockport Pyramid, following reports of a serious multi-vehicle crash. The incident involved four heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and four cars, with one lorry reportedly breaching the central motorway reservation and causing devastation in its wake.
Eyewitness accounts paint a scene of chaos and fear as vehicles desperate to avoid the out-of-control lorry swerved abruptly, sometimes into adjacent lanes. A driver recounting their ordeal to reporters said: “It began when a car sped down the motorway, causing another vehicle to swerve into the path of a lorry. That lorry lost control and crashed through the central barrier, which caused further collisions across the carriageway. It felt utterly surreal; we had to stop just behind it and call 999 immediately.”
The impact’s severity was compounded by a secondary incident, when one vehicle shed its load of beer barrels onto the tarmac. With several lorry fuel tanks ruptured, diesel spilled freely across the carriageway. Others described the motorway littered with oil, glass and debris, and captured footage showed an overturned lorry cab, mangled vehicles, and destroyed lamp columns.
In the immediate aftermath, both directions of the motorway were closed as police, fire crews, and ambulance services rushed to contend with the sprawling scene. Motorists stuck behind the crash were seen leaving their vehicles to check on the injured, while some onlookers risked further danger by recording the chaos on their mobile phones as they navigated past the twisted wreckage.
One shaken passenger described the terror of the moment: “My husband slammed on the brakes and our car skidded over two lanes. It was incredibly frightening; everywhere you looked there was debris and fuel. Fortunately, emergency services were with us almost instantly, and a passing paramedic stopped to help before the ambulance crews arrived. The 999 operator stayed on the line and kept me calm as everything unfolded around us.”
Despite the dramatic visuals and scale of the crash, authorities have confirmed that there were no fatalities or life-threatening injuries. North West Ambulance Service assessed several people for minor injuries at the scene, with three individuals taken to hospital as a precaution.
A spokesperson for National Highways issued a statement soon after the incident: “Greater Manchester Police, Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, North West Ambulance, National Highways Traffic Officers and maintenance contractors are all present. There were only minor injuries reported, but both carriageways will remain closed for an extended period owing to the significant damage to infrastructure, fuel spillages, and the need to recover several large vehicles involved.”
The closure of the motorway led to hours of delays for drivers, with diversions set up while crews worked to clear the wreckage and assess the damage. The central reservation sustained considerable structural harm, and extensive clean-up efforts were underway to deal with the hazardous spillage and scattered cargo.
Officials have urged the public to remain patient as repair and recovery crews labour to restore the motorway’s damaged sections. The cause of the crash is under investigation, with initial indications pointing to a high-speed manoeuvre by a car preceding the lorry’s loss of control.
The incident highlights the ever-present dangers on Britain’s busy motorways, and the crucial role of first responders, whose swift action potentially prevented more serious outcomes amid the pandemonium. Motorway authorities are expected to review the incident further to determine if any additional safety measures can be implemented in future.
As the clean-up continues, many drivers and residents are left reflecting on the dramatic scene—a potent reminder of how rapidly routine journeys can turn catastrophic, and of the resilience displayed by both emergency services and ordinary people in moments of crisis.