Hammersmith Flyover labelled a crime scene after minor accident
The Met Police have issued an apology after they closed the Hammersmith Flyover for more than nine hours.
The closure followed a ‘minor accident’ which occurred in the early hours of Monday (20th April) morning. A silver BMW hit a lamppost at 3.10am just after 3.00am near the junction of Talgarth Road and Gliddon Road however, the road was not reopened until 1.00pm.
Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the scene of the accident and the 22 year old driver and his 23 year old passenger were taken to hospital but their injuries were said not to be serious.
Both the flyover and the eastbound carriageway of the A4 at Talgarth Road remained closed until lunchtime whilst investigations were carried out causing traffic chaos for thousands of commuters and school children returning after their Easter break.
Tailbacks stretched more than eight miles and many motorists abandoned their cars and walked.
Transport for London said the closures were on the orders of police because they had declared it a “crime scene”.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said today, “We apologise for inconvenience caused to users of the A4. We make every effort to open roads quickly when a collision occurs and do everything we can to warn the public using signs, informing the media and setting up diversion routes. However, we must also balance the needs of our collision investigators to gather as much information as they can about how a collision occurred.”
April 28, 2009