Girl, 17, killed in horror crash while walking on motorway had been detained by cops

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A teen who tragically died in a horror crash while walking on the M5 motorway had been detained by police beforehand.

Avon & Somerset Police made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to prior police contact. According to the BBC, the girl had been detained by cops before she died at around 11pm last night, Monday, November 11.

Initial reports said the 17-year-old was struck down by a car and died at the scene of the collision on the M5. The incident, led to both directions of the south-western motorway being shut down between Junction 24 for Bridgwater, and Junction 25 for Taunton. Cops cordoned off the area while they carry out their investigation of the crash site, reports the Mirror.

The road is still closed this morning, with Travel Somerset posting on Twitter: "Major traffic build-up around #M5 corridor this morning due to M5 being closed both ways. Please plan ahead, expect significant congestion. We're not expecting the M5 to reopen until lunchtime."

Shortly after the crash, National Highways south-west said: "Traffic caught within the closure of the #M5 north between J25 (#Taunton) and J24 (#Bridgwater) is being turned around from the back of the queue. Correction to our previous update, south traffic is not being turned yet. But will in due course. Thanks for your patience."

Avon and Somerset Police said the victim's next of kin have been notified and are being supported by a specially-trained officer. No one else was injured in the incident on the motorway.

Police have advised anyone who witnessed the crash, or has dashcam footage, to call 101 and give the call handler the reference of log number 1170 of 11 November.

The tragedy comes after a lorry driver died during a horrific crash on the M6 motorway, in which his HGV overturned, sparking road closures. Lancashire Police said they are appealing for witnesses after being contacted about a serious collision on the M6 on Wednesday last week.

The heavy goods vehicle (HGV) was travelling northbound when it veered into the opposite carriageway, colliding with several other vehicles on the road.

The driver of the HGV was a man in his 50s, who was tragically pronounced dead at the scene, cops confirmed. The driver of a Ford Transit, a man in his 40s, and the driver of a Suzuki Swift, a woman also in her 40s, suffered serious injuries and were rushed to hospital. Another three individuals suffered minor injuries in the collision, which involved 10 vehicles in total.

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