Terrified commuters described seeing a “vision of hell” after three lorries were engulfed in flames following two horror motorway crashes in the early hours of Friday.
Both sides of the M40 were closed after the HGVs collided shortly after 4am.
Police and fire crews scrambled to the northbound carriageway between junctions 15 and 16 near Warwick.
A second crash involving two cars further up the carriageway also caused another fire and sent fuel spilling across the carriageway.
Incredibly, no one is believed to have bene injured in the crash which saw an Eddie Stobart lorry explode into a fireball.
Motorist Janet Moss, 45, said: “I was driving south past the junction at around 4.45am and the scene was like a vision from hell.
“There were fire engines everywhere and the lorries were engulfed in a fireball.
“I was convinced it was a fatality but I’ve heard on the radio the drivers managed to escape. It’s a miracle really.”
A separate lorry fire on the southbound carriageway also closed the motorway.
A spokesperson for Warwickshire Police said: “Emergency services and fire crews are also on the scene.
“The road is expected to be closed for the majority of the morning while the southbound stretch of the M40 from junctions 15 to 16 is also closed at this time due to a separate lorry fire.
“Motorists are advised to avoid the area completely and follow diversions put in place by Highways England.”
By Ben Gelblum and Mark Cardwell
