Spill causes crash and exacerbates rush-hour queues on A27 Brighton bypass

A car crashed on the A27 Brighton bypass after skidding on what appears to have been an oil or fuel spillage.

The driver suffered only minor injuries after hitting the central reservation in the Hollingbury area on the westbound stretch between Lewes Road and the turn-off for the A23 and Patcham.

The accident happened at about 2.45pm, leaving the outside lane blocked and traffic queueing well into the rush hour.

Some surrounding roads were busier than usual as drivers switched to Lewes Road and Coldean Lane.

The outside lane of the bypass reopened about two and a half hours after the crash once the wreckage had been removed and the Highways Agency cleared the remains of the spillage.

Sussex Police said: “There appears to have been some sort metal pipe in the road and a long stretch of fuel or liquid – a metre wide and about 200 metres to 300 metres long.

“It looks like the car has skidded on that and hit the central reservation. Other cars have skidded but not crashed into anything.

“Another car was parked at the side of the road near by but that was because the driver was feeling unwell.”