A tragic incident occurred on the M5 as a man lost his life in a collision after exiting an ambulance that had stopped to provide assistance.
The ambulance service notified the police last night after a patient left the ambulance on the northbound carriageway between junction 21 (Weston-super-Mare) and 20 (Clevedon) while en route to the hospital. Shortly after, the 18-year-old man was spotted on the motorway.
Upon receiving the report, police rushed to the scene where an on-duty officer attempted to guide the man to safety to prevent harm to him and others. Unfortunately, the man was struck by a car traveling southbound and succumbed to his injuries despite the efforts of emergency responders.
The family of the deceased has been informed and is receiving support from a specially trained liaison officer, as reported by Somerset Live.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed the incident, expressing condolences to the man’s family and acknowledging the impact on their officers and ambulance crews. The department has initiated a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for an independent investigation.
Following the incident, the motorway was temporarily closed to facilitate emergency response and investigations, but it has since reopened.