Teen dies after exiting ambulance and being hit by car on M5
Paramedics had been treating the male on the motorway before he left the vehicle on Sunday night
A teenager who got out of an ambulance on the M5 before being hit by a car has died.
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The 18-year-old was struck on the motorway near Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, shortly after 11pm on Sunday night.
Paramedics had been treating the male on between Junctions 20 and 21 before he made his way out of the vehicle.
The ambulance service informed police that he had exited and officers were called to the scene. But despite efforts to bring him to safety, he was hit by a car not long afterwards.
He was pronounced dead at the scene and police say his family are being supported.
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A man, 18, sadly died after a collision on the M5 on Sunday night (30 November).
— Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) December 1, 2025
His family have been updated and our thoughts are with them.
The M5 was reopened in both directions this morning.
A copy of our full statement is below and available here: https://t.co/DRXax0R3un pic.twitter.com/Qn7AN8t7Ma
A referral has since been made to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: "At 11.04pm the ambulance service made us aware that a patient had exited an ambulance that had stopped to provide further treatment on the northbound carriageway between junction 21 (Weston-super-Mare) and 20 (Clevedon) while taking 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.
"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."