(Image: Google Maps)
Girl, 17, killed on M5 motorway moments after getting out of police car
by Ashlie Blakey · Manchester Evening NewsA girl was struck by a car and killed on the M5 motorway just moments after she got out of a police vehicle.
The teenager was hit by the car on the motorway between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton at around 11pm last night (Monday, November 11). The 17-year-old, a pedestrian, tragically died on the scene, Avon and Somerset Police said.
It has now been confirmed that she was being transported to custody in a police car before her death. She got out of the police vehicle on the M5 shortly before the incident.
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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said in a statement that it was now investigating her death. A spokesperson said: "We have started an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 17-year-old girl who was struck by a vehicle on the M5 near Taunton last night.
"We were advised by Avon and Somerset Police that the girl was being transported to custody in a police vehicle and had got out of the vehicle shortly before the collision. We sent our investigators to the police post incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.
"Our sympathies are with the girl’s loved ones and everyone affected by her death." Avon and Somerset Police said the girl’s next of kin were being supported by a specially trained officer.
A force spokesperson added that no-one else had been injured in the collision. The spokesperson added: "A mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to recent prior police contact.”
The motorway was closed off for around 12 hours overnight as investigations were carried out. It reopened just after 11am this morning.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage is asked to contact Avon and Somerset Police on 101, with the log number 1170 of November 11.