Man arrested after camper van hits police car and overturns on M5
A man has been arrested after allegedly crashing a camper van into a stationary police car and overturning the vehicle on the M5. Traffic was left stationary on the motorway in the early hours of Saturday morning[1] (June 17) after the driver of a camper van allegedly drove off while police officers conducted a welfare check.
A statement from Avon and Somerset Police[2] said officers became aware of a camper van stopped on the hard shoulder of the M5 southbound between junctions 23 at Highbridge and junction 24 at Bridgwater. At around 2.45am, police attended to conduct a welfare check – the driver of the van drove away.
Officers attempted to follow the van but the driver did not stop as they were requested to. Police say a stinger was then deployed between junctions 26 at Wellington and 27 at Tiverton to try and bring the incident to a close safely.
The camper approached the area at about 3.05am. Police say the driver is reported to have crashed into a stationary police vehicle and left the carriageway as a result, flipping over onto the hard shoulder.
A 26-year-old man was arrested at the scene and remains in police[4] custody, having been taken to hospital to be checked over.
The motorway was closed near the crash site while emergency services were at the incident. Police say recovery work has now been completed. Officers are now appealing for any witnesses of the crash to get in touch.
A statement from Avon and Somerset Police said: “A man is in police custody after an incident on the M5 in Somerset during the early hours of this morning (Saturday 17 June).
“At 2.37am we became aware a camper van had stopped on the hard shoulder on the M5 southbound between junctions 23 and 24. Upon officers arriving at the scene to conduct a welfare check at about 2.45am, the driver of the camper van drove away. Officers followed the vehicle but the driver continued to fail to stop as requested.
“A tactical decision was taken that a stinger should be deployed between junctions 26 and 27 to bring the incident to a safe conclusion. On approaching the area at about 3.05am, the driver of the camper van is reported to have left the carriageway and driven onto the hard shoulder and overturned after colliding with a stationary police vehicle.
“A 26-year-old man was subsequently arrested at the scene and is in custody having been taken to hospital to be checked over. A motorway closure was required near the collision site while emergency services dealt with the incident, however this was reduced to a single lane closure shortly before 6am. Recovery work has now been completed.
“Enquiries into the collision are ongoing. We’d ask anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant dashcam footage to call 101 and quote reference number 5223142463.”
References
- ^ Traffic was left stationary on the motorway in the early hours of Saturday morning (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ Avon and Somerset Police (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
- ^ Salvador Dali statue stolen from Bristol art gallery (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
- ^ police (www.somersetlive.co.uk)