A significant disruption occurred on the M5 motorway overnight between Gloucester and Cheltenham, leading to an eight-hour closure of the northbound carriageway. The incident took place shortly after 1 a.m. on Monday, May 26, when a police car experienced a tyre blowout while responding to an incident near junction 11.
The tyre blowout caused the car to collide with the central reservation barrier, necessitating emergency services and recovery teams to attend the scene. Gloucestershire Police confirmed that the officer involved was transported to hospital and is receiving treatment for their injuries.
The motorway remained fully closed for approximately eight hours, with two lanes reopening around 9:30 a.m. National Highways crews worked on repairing the damaged barrier, and by 11 a.m., one lane was still closed to complete emergency repairs. Despite these restrictions, traffic flow was reported to be manageable.
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Initial reports indicated that two vehicles were involved, but police have clarified that the incident involved only the single police vehicle. The closure affected the stretch from junction 11A (A417 Gloucester/Cirencester) to junction 11 (A40 Gloucester/Golden Valley Bypass).
This extended closure highlights the challenges that unexpected vehicle incidents can pose on major motorways, especially those involving emergency response vehicles.