M5 crash: Teenage boy, 18, dies on major motorway near Bristol after getting out of back of ambulance
A teenager has tragically died after being hit by a car while leaving an ambulance taking him to hospital on a major motorway.
The 18-year-old was struck on the M5 near Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, just after 11pm on Sunday. Paramedics had been treating the teen between Junction 20 and 21 but he left the vehicle.
Avon and Somerset Police were called to the motorway, where an officer attempted to bring him to safety. Tragically the 18-year-old was hit by a car and pronounced dead at the scene.
A referral has since been made to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said: “Our thoughts are with the man’s family at such a devastating time. We will support them in any way we can.
“This incident has had a significant effect on our officers and ambulance crews who are understandably incredibly upset by what happened. As well as providing support to the man’s family, we are also making sure that the appropriate welfare arrangements are in place for our staff and also for those members of the public who were either directly involved or who witnessed the incident.
“A mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) by our Professional Standards Department. It’s already begun an independent investigation into the circumstances, which we will fully cooperate with.”
The M5 was closed to allow emergency services to respond to the incident, and to allow enquiries to take place at the scene. The motorway reopened on Monday morning (1 December). Avon and Somerset Police added: “We want to thank motorists for their patience and understanding while this important work was completed.”