Teenager who got out of ambulance was Tasered

A TEENAGER who got out of an ambulance on a motorway was then Tasered by police before being hit by a car and killed, the police watchdog said.

- CLAIRE HAYHURST

Logan Smith, 18, from Weston-super-Mare, was being taken to hospital in an ambulance at 11pm on November 30 when the vehicle had to pull over on the hard shoulder of the M5 northbound carriageway, due to the concerns of staff on board.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said Mr Smith got out of the ambulance near the junction for Weston-super-Mare and entered the live lanes of the motorway.

Ambulance staff called Avon and Somerset Police for assistance and a single-crewed officer arrived at the scene a short time later.

A spokesman for the IOPC said it was now investigating the “actions and decisions” taken by the police, prior to Mr Smith’s death.

“Body-worn video footage we have viewed shows the officer attempted to engage with Logan and a short time later discharged their Taser, causing Logan to fall to the ground,” he said.