The M25 Enfield lorry crash drew a swarm of emergency vehicles to the motorway this morning, after a lorry and a car collided on the anticlockwise carriageway and forced the closure of one lane, stacking traffic back for miles.
The crash happened between junction 25 for the A10 at Enfield and junction 24 for Stagg Hill at Potters Bar. Pictures from the scene show a badly damaged car at a standstill on the motorway, with fire engines, an ambulance and a string of police vehicles lined up behind it as congestion built.
One person was taken to hospital following the collision. A London Ambulance Service spokesman said crews were called to the M25 near Enfield at 9.37am on Monday. We treated a patient at the scene and took them to a local hospital, the spokesman said. The patient’s condition has not been disclosed.
Lane one of four was shut to traffic roughly halfway between the two junctions while crews dealt with the wreckage. Queues stretched back around two miles at the height of the disruption, with drivers warned to expect long delays through the area.
Firefighters, paramedics and Metropolitan Police officers were all pictured working at the scene, underlining the scale of the response on one of the capital’s busiest motorway sections. The London orbital is famously unforgiving at the best of times, and an incident of this size on a weekday inevitably ripples across the surrounding road network.
The circumstances that led to the lorry and car coming together are still to be established. The emergency services have yet to release further details, and this article will be updated if more information is confirmed.
Key facts: M25 Enfield lorry crash
- Where: M25 anticlockwise, between junction 25 (A10, Enfield) and junction 24 (A111 Stagg Hill, Potters Bar).
- What happened: a lorry and a car were involved in a collision.
- Casualties: one person treated at the scene and taken to a local hospital; condition not disclosed (London Ambulance Service).
- Lane closures: lane one of four closed, roughly halfway between the two junctions.
- Delays: queues of around two miles reported.
- Response: fire engines, ambulance and police at the scene; ambulance crews called at 9.37am.
- Latest: the cause of the collision is still to be established; further details awaited.
Drivers warned of long delays around Enfield
Motorists heading anticlockwise past Enfield bore the brunt of the disruption, with stop-start conditions building through the morning and into the middle of the day. Anyone with a flight to catch, a school run to make or a shift to get to was urged to set off earlier than usual or rethink their route altogether.
It is far from the first time this section of the orbital has ground to a halt — the anticlockwise carriageway was shut near Potters Bar after a vehicle fire in a separate recent incident.
Advice if you are heading that way
If your journey takes you anywhere near the north London stretch of the M25 today, the sensible move is to check live traffic information before setting off. National Highways publishes rolling updates on lane closures and estimated clearance times, and sat-nav apps will usually reroute around the worst of the queues.
- Allow far more time than usual, or delay non-essential journeys until the carriageway is fully reopened.
- Consider the A10 through Enfield as an alternative north-south route, but expect it to be busier than normal.
- Never drive in lanes marked with a red X — they are closed to protect crews and stranded motorists.
- If you break down in the queues, stay with your vehicle where it is safe to do so and keep your hazard lights on.
Drivers have also faced major queues on the M25 after a roundabout problem at South Mimms, just a few junctions further round the orbital.
Timeline: how the incident unfolded
- 9.37am: London Ambulance Service crews are called to reports of a collision on the M25 near Enfield.
- Morning: paramedics treat a patient at the scene; one person is taken to a local hospital.
- Around 12.20pm: the first images emerge of the smash between junctions 25 and 24, showing a wrecked car surrounded by emergency vehicles, with lane one of four closed.
- Peak disruption: queues reach around two miles as fire crews, paramedics and police work at the crash site.
- Ongoing: the cause of the collision is still to be established, and delays are expected to ease once the vehicles are recovered and all lanes reopen.
The M25 has endured a bruising few weeks for drivers — all lanes were stopped near Godstone in a separate live incident.
London Streets will update this story if the emergency services release further information.
