M5 closed after pedestrian collides with HGV

At around 5:30 a.m. this morning, Wednesday 6 September, a man sadly lost his life after he walked into the path of a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) on the M5.

The fatal incident took place near the border of Devon and Somerset, with the man found confirmed dead at the scene^[1].

Police revealed shortly after the incident that his next of kin had been informed.

In a statement, Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Police were called at 5:30 a.m. today, Wednesday, September 6, to the M5 near Tiverton following reports of a collision involving an HGV and a pedestrian. The male pedestrian was confirmed deceased at the scene. His next of kin have been informed."

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) explained: "We were called at 05.30hrs to a road traffic collision near Wellington and we sent a double-crewed land ambulance and an operations officer."

A little while after the tragedy, the M5 was shut down in both directions. The sudden closure inherently caused a pile-up of traffic from Wellington to Tiverton.

There was a diversion route open to travellers via the A38 which runs through Appledore and Wellington.

Devon and Cornwall Police Officers led the response to the incident, as they ordered those in their vehicles to stay stationary and await further instructions.

National Highways said: "If you are stationary within the closure, please remain in your vehicle and await instruction from police or Traffic Officers. Once the road has been closed, ensuring no traffic can join the back of the queue, you will be turned around and released from the rear of the queue."

At 7:45 a.m., it was reported that the current journey times were delayed by just 45 minutes. By 10 a.m., severe delays were reported while the closure remained in place.

At 3 p.m., reports surrounding another incident that occurred on the other end of the M5 emerged.

Almost 12 hours later, at 17:13 p.m., there was still queueing traffic on the northbound side of the M5 between Tiverton and Wellington, but the motorway had been reopened.

Shortly after the road was reopened, Intrix reported that there were no more delays in the region where the fatal incident occurred.

The M5, which runs for more than 160 miles and joins the Midlands and the South West region of the UK, is notorious for traffic during the school holidays^[2] and summer season – particularly the northbound carriageway.

The location of the road is considered a "major gateway" to some of the most popular summer holiday destinations for those in the UK.

Just five days ago, on Friday 1 September, the M5 was again at a standstill. The heavy traffic was caused by a crash between two drivers in Somerset near Wellington.

On Friday 11 August 2023, a male motorcyclist was taken to hospital by an air ambulance after he sustained serious injuries on the M5.

It was reported that the emergency services were called by drivers who had no involvement in the incident. Reports also note that the incident, in which a black Triumph motorbike and a silver BMW 1 Series collided on the northbound carriageway, was a "hit and run".

Avon and Somerset Police have since announced that they are seeking any witnesses, dashcam footage, or those who had spotted either vehicle prior to the incident to contact them.

In March 2022, a multi-car crash on the M5 caused hour-long delays between Junction 20 and Junction 21 that goes to Weston-super-Mare – a popular beach town in North Somerset.

The accident caused two lanes to be completely closed, while firefighters and other emergency services tended to the scene.

References

1. ^{^} confirmed dead at the scene (www.ibtimes.co.uk)
2. ^{^} school holidays (www.ibtimes.co.uk)