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Teenage girl killed by car on M5 shortly after fleeing police vehicle

The Guardian

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November 13, 2024

A teenage girl who was killed by a car while on foot on the M5 had fled a police vehicle before she was struck, it has emerged.

- Jamie Grierson

Teenage girl killed by car on M5 shortly after fleeing police vehicle

Avon and Somerset police initially said the motorway was closed between Bridgwater and Taunton in Somerset after the fatal collision involving a pedestrian and a car at 11pm on Monday.

The force said a mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog because of the recent prior police contact.

Yesterday, the IOPC revealed the 17-year-old girl was being transported to custody in a police vehicle and left the vehicle shortly before the collision.

An IOPC 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.

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