Video footage captured the frightening moment a Morrisons delivery lorry burst into flames on the M62 on Monday afternoon (April 25). All traffic was brought to a standstill as fire crews and motorway police rushed to the scene of the blaze on the eastbound carriageway.
The incident caused huge delays during rush hour, with the fire first reported shortly after 4.30pm. The motorway was completely closed off between junctions J11 (Birchwood) to J12 (Eccles), with drivers left stuck for an hour before two lanes reopened, allowing them to slowly pass the fire.
Supermarket giant Morrisons has since responded to the incident, confirming that the driver escaped unharmed and managed to react swiftly to the fire and pull the vehicle over to the hard shoulder. Fire crews were pictured combating the flames as paramedics and police remained at the scene.
A spokesperson for Morrisons said: "We can confirm a fire occurred on the M62 involving one of our empty trailers. The driver took prompt action and was able to pull the vehicle over safely and without injury. We are currently liaising with the relevant authorities on the matter."
Videos show the cab at the front of the lorry engulfed in huge flames, with numerous firefighters using hose reels to extinguish the fire. The North West Ambulance Service also confirmed there were no casualties. The blaze caused huge amounts of congestion, with Highways North West announcing there were queues of more than four miles and delays of half an hour.
Fire crews remained in attendance for around 80 minutes. A spokesperson for the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Firefighters were called to a large vehicle that was well alight on their arrival.
"The M62 carriageway was closed while the incident was dealt with and crews used three hose reels to extinguish the flames, which involved the cab and a trailer. They set up a shuttle at the incident to get water to the area and were detained for approximately one hour and 20 minutes."
