Overview
- Emergency services first attended a two‑vehicle crash on the A189 in Cramlington and, shortly after 11.10pm on Monday, a black Mercedes struck a parked marked Northumbria Police car; a serving officer was taken to hospital in critical condition and a 73‑year‑old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
- The A189 remains closed both ways between Moor Farm Roundabout and Laverock Hall Road under a police cordon while Northumbria Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit carries out inquiries and asks witnesses and dashcam holders to contact them.
- Separate, concurrent incidents increased disruption across the network, including an overturned artic on the A19 slip at Little Thorpe, an M11 slip‑road lorry overturn, a vehicle fire closing lanes on the M25 between J25 and J24, and a jack‑knifed HGV with a reported fuel spill that shut the M6 between J35 and J34.
- Multi‑agency response teams — including ambulance crews, the Great North Air Ambulance, National Highways and specialist recovery units — have worked at scenes to treat the injured, make vehicles safe, clear fuel and carry out carriageway checks, which has lengthened closures and recovery times.
- Motorists should expect significant knock‑on delays into peak periods with local diversions in place, the Dartford QEII bridge incident has been resolved safely and authorities warn that specialist recovery and clean‑up work may keep key routes closed for several hours.