Slice of misfortune! Warburtons bread lorry blocks major road when it overturns and scatters loaves across both carriageways

Published: 14:22 EDT, 28 October 2026 | Updated: 14:28 EDT, 28 October 2026 A Warburtons bread lorry caused long delays on a major road today after it flipped and 'shed its load' across both carriageways. The lorry had been travelling near junctions 60 and 61 of the A1 near Bowburn, south of Durham, when it overturned and smashed into the reservation barrier shortly after 5am on Wednesday morning. Images show the lorry sprawled across both carriageways, with bread loaves strewn all over the tarmac behind its trunk. It prompted both directions of the busy road to shut, causing grid-locked traffic as motorists were advised to seek alternative routes. The driver of the lorry was taken to hospital, Durham Police said. His condition is not yet known. Teams from National Highways North East spent the hours after the crash clearing what they called a 'large debris field' largely consisting of baked goods. The HGV was eventually pulled off the road by a crane. It came just hours before another lorry, said to also have been carrying baked goods, was involved in a similar crash on the A66 eastbound near Bowes. A Warburtons bread lorry smashed on the A1 motorway shortly after 5am this morning The smash left bread and baked goods strewn across both carriageways It prompted grid-locked traffic for hours near Durham as motorists were advised to seek alternative travel routesDurham Constabulary said of the Warburtons crash: 'Police were called just after 5.10am today following reports that a lorry had overturned on the A1 just after the Bowburn junction. 'The lorry shed its load across both carriageways, resulting in the road being closed.'The driver of the lorry was taken to hospital for treatment.'National Highways said in a statement of its own: 'The HGV has been righted by a crane. A large debris field needs to be cleared and barrier repairs need to take place.'A stretch of the A1 remained closed on Wednesday afternoon due to the scale of the damage as teams worked to repair damage to the central reservation.