Three hurt in 10-car crash in Groningen; Busiest rush hour yet with 1,100 km of traffic

At least ten vehicles were involved in a collision in provincial Groningen on Tuesday, and three people were hospitalized as a result. The crash on the N366 was just one of several incidents on the roadways in the Netherlands that led to the busiest morning rush hours so far this year. Over 1,100 kilometers of traffic jams were counted at about 8 a.m., according to Dutch travel association ANWB.

The incident on the N366 was in northeastern Groningen near Alteveer and Nieuwe Pekela. A police spokesperson confirmed the crash took place at about 7:25 a.m.

A medical trauma team was dispatched to the scene. It was already clear that three people were transported to an area hospital for treatment. The severity of the injuries was not revealed.

Passenger cars and a commercial vehicle were among the vehicles in the crash. The exact total of vehicles was not yet known two hours later, but at least ten were involved in the incident.

Forensic investigators were trying to determine the cause of the chain reaction crash, a spokesperson said. They were at the scene, and were using several tools, including aerial drones, to get an overview of the incident.

ANWB: busiest morning rush hour this year, partly due to accidents

Around 8:00 a.m., Dutch roads were jammed up with over 1,100 kilometers of traffic, making it the busiest morning rush hour of the year. This has only been surpassed in 2025 by a handful of evening rush hour periods earlier this year.

A number of traffic jams around Rotterdam contributed significantly to the delays. Several traffic accidents took place in the region, leading to substantial traffic jams on the A4, A15, and A16.

"We're also seeing many lengthy traffic jams daily in Noord-Brabant and Gelderland," said a spokesperson. Tuesdays are frequently busier than other mornings. She cited rain and the end of the autumn school holidays as other reasons contributing to the 2025 morning rush hour record.

Dutch infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat also made note of the collisions near Rotterdam earlier on Tuesday. An accident occurred in both directions on the A16 near Capelle aan den IJssel.

That contributed to over 600 kilometers of traffic jams just on the A-roads alone, according to the agency's traffic service. While the government service monitors A-road traffic volume, the ANWB estimates also include the N-roads in their calculations.