Girl who died after leaving police vehicle on M5 is named

A teenage girl who died after being hit by a car after leaving a stationary police vehicle on the M5, has been named.

Avon and Somerset Police said Tamzin Hall, 17, from Wellington, Somerset, was hit by a car travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton, shortly after 23:00 GMT on Monday.

She had got out of a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side while transporting her, moments before the incident, police added.

“Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss,” the force said.

The force referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is now investigating the incident.

“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.

“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time,” the force added.

The IOPC said the teenager was being taken from an address in Taunton to a custody suite in Bridgwater in a police car by two officers.

The police car stopped on the northbound carriageway of the motorway, between junctions 25 and 24 just before 23:00.

At this point, the teenager got out of the car and shortly afterwards was involved in a collision with a member of the public’s car on the southbound carriageway, the IOPC said.

An ambulance was called and paramedics attended within a few minutes but Tamzin died at the scene.