Was Anyone Killed in Today’s M5 Crash? Memories Resurface of 2011 Horror That Still Haunts Families

The M5 in Devon has been shut in both directions early Friday morning following two serious collisions near Tiverton. According to reports[1], emergency services were called to the stretch between Junction 27 (Tiverton) and Junction 28 (Cullompton) late on Thursday evening. National Highways confirmed that both carriageways remain closed while 'extensive' investigation work is carried out.

Meanwhile, traffic built up quickly after the first collision was reported around 9:50pm. Within two miles of that scene, a second crash occurred at approximately 11:10pm, compounding delays and complicating rescue efforts. Reports from the scene suggest that an air ambulance was dispatched, with traffic briefly halted to allow it to land.

Diversions are now in place, but officials have warned the motorway could remain closed well into Friday morning. At this stage, police have not confirmed whether anyone has died in the incident, though the scale of the response suggests the crash was serious. For many, the closure has stirred difficult memories of tragedies linked to this motorway in years gone by.

Reminders of Britain's Worst Motorway Crash in Decades

For many in the South West, today's events bring back memories of the catastrophic M5 crash near Taunton in November 2011.

In dense fog, 34 vehicles collided on the northbound carriageway near Junction 25, leaving seven people dead and 51 injured.

Witnesses described an 'utter carnage'[2] of burning lorries, twisted cars, and explosions as fuel tanks ignited. A coach driver at the scene recalled, 'There were lots of lorries on fire... it looked like two lorries had jack-knifed at the front.' Among those killed were Tony and Pamela Adams, whose daughter Tonia White later spoke about the enduring grief of losing both parents in the crash. 'Obviously that was a phone call we never got,' she told the BBC[3], recalling her final words to them.

A decade later, she said there was still 'no closure' and questioned whether enough had been done to improve safety on fog-prone stretches of the motorway. A coroner ruled that very dense fog was the primary cause of the pile-up, though smoke from a nearby fireworks display may have worsened visibility.

A More Recent Tragedy: The May 2025 Crash

Only a few months ago, three people[4] were killed in a crash on the M5 near Falfield, between Junctions 13 and 14. Andrew Moore, 46, his partner Swala Harling, 47, and Mr Moore's 14-year-old son Sebastian died when their BMW left the carriageway.

Another child survived but was left with serious injuries.

The inquest, opened in June at Flax Bourton, heard that Mr Moore, a mechanic, had been driving the car, with Ms Harling in the passenger seat. The teenager was in the back seat at the time of the crash. Police described the scene as 'very complex,' and the road remained closed for most of the following day.

The deaths devastated the family's community in Derbyshire and serve as a reminder of how suddenly lives can be lost on one of the UK's busiest motorways.

Why These Crashes Continue to Resonate

The M5 is a vital artery linking the Midlands with the South West, but its history of serious accidents gives each new closure a chilling sense of d?j? vu. Today's collision near Tiverton, like those before it, has left many asking whether fatalities have occurred, and how quickly lessons from past tragedies are being applied. For families such as the Whites, who lost loved ones in 2011, and the relatives of the Moore and Harling family earlier this year, the pain remains raw.

Meanwhile, details of the Tiverton crash are still emerging.

For now, Devon and Cornwall police have confirmed[5] that a certain number of people have been 'seriously injured' in the two separate crashes.

References

1. ^ reports (www.bbc.com)
2. ^ 'utter carnage' (www.bbc.com)
3. ^ told the BBC (www.bbc.com)
4. ^ three people (www.bbc.com)
5. ^ confirmed (www.bbc.com)