‘It’s an absolute mess down here’: Multi-vehicle crash causes major delays on Monash Freeway

2 weeks ago 3

Commuters are facing long delays on Thursday morning after a multi-vehicle crash brought the Monash Freeway to a standstill in Melbourne’s south-east.

Earlier, police shut down three of four outbound lanes of the Monash Freeway at Berwick, where a multi-vehicle crash unfolded about 6am.

Police at the Monash Freeway, where a multi-vehicle crash unfolded at Berwick.

Witnesses reported seeing “at least two, possibly three people sitting on the ground in handcuffs”.

Pictures show at least two people in handcuffs on the roadside as a police officer stands over them, while a dark-coloured sedan had two windows smashed, three of its doors opened and clothes strewn across the road.

“Just before Berwick-Clyde Road outbound, there is at least 14 police cars, there are at least 2, possibly 3 people sitting on the ground in handcuffs,” said another.

“It’s an absolute mess down here.”

One of the vehicles involved in Thursday morning’s incident.

Multiple police units are at the scene, with callers to 3AW reporting 14 or 15 police cars.

There is also heavy traffic in the Melbourne-bound lanes as “people slow down for a bit of a look at what’s happening,” the Department of Transport’s Brad Arnoldt told ABC radio.

“I’m sitting here at the Clyde Road exit ramp, there are 15 police cars dead in front of me and traffic is at a stop,” one caller told 3AW.

“Just before Berwick-Clyde Road outbound, there is at least 14 police cars, there are at least 2, possibly 3 people sitting on the ground in handcuffs,” said another. “It’s an absolute mess down here.”

Two of the four outbound lanes remain closed at Berwick, with a speed limit of 40km/h in the open lanes, leading to delays of up to 45 minutes.

Police said the incident was not related to a ram-raid on a Toorak Road store in South Yarra earlier Tuesday morning.