A TEENAGER died after getting out of an ambulance on the M5 motorway in Somerset on Sunday night (November 30).

The vehicle had pulled over on the northbound carriageway between junctions 21 (Weston-super-Mare) and 20 (Clevedon) at just after 11pm, to provide further treatment to the patient.

However, Avon & Somerset Police said “a patient had exited an ambulance that had stopped to provide further treatment” as it took them to hospital.

The patient, an 18-year-old man, was subsequently reported to be on the motorway.

“An on-duty officer came across the incident and attempted to bring the man to safety to reduce the risk to him as well as to other members of the public,” a police spokesperson said.

“Sadly, shortly after this, the man was involved in a collision with a car being driven southbound, and he died at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services personnel.

“His family have been updated and are being supported by a specially trained liaison officer.”

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 for some time to allow emergency services to respond and for enquiries to take place, re-opening on Monday morning.

Police thanked motorists for their patience and understanding.

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