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Motorway crash spills thousands of litres of gin

Motorists faced lengthy delays last night (4 September) following a collision between a lorry and a Chivas Brothers tanker carrying 32,000 litres of gin, which leaked onto a motorway in Cheshire.

Image courtesy of North West Motorway Police

The crash, dubbed the ‘gincident’ on social media, occurred before 5:30pm yesterday between junction 19 and 20 on the M6 motorway near Knutsford, in Cheshire.

A 300 metre cordon was put in place following the collision as a precautionary measure due to the flammable nature of the alcohol. The crash involved an HGV that collided with a truck belonging to Pernod Ricard-owned Chivas Brothers containing concentrated gin.

A Chivas Brothers spokesperson said: “Yesterday evening, a Chivas Brothers tanker transporting gin was involved in an accident on the M6 between junctions 19 and 20. The tanker was hit in the rear by an HGV which resulted in a leak from the tank onto the carriageway. Fortunately, no one was injured in the collision.

“The fire brigade was on the scene quickly and worked hard to secure the surrounding area. This process, however, led to the closure of the carriageway and long delays for motorists.

“We appreciate the emergency services swift response to address the leak and manage the traffic disruptions. We will continue to assist them with their inquiries.”

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service covered the spilled alcohol with foam to prevent it from igniting.

Crews also worked to contain the leaked fluid on the carriageway. An update posted on the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service at 9.30pm last night estimated that around 8,000 litres of gin had leaked from the tanker so far.

A further update at 10.30pm last night said a replacement tanker had arrived at the scene, and was about to start decanting the gin into the replacement vehicle.

The crash caused three miles of traffic jams and led to the closure of the motorway between the two junctions. The road reopened just after 4am this morning (5 September). Fire crews were at the scene for around nine hours in total.

There were no reports of any injuries as a result of the collision.

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