The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has confirmed that an 18-year-old man was Tasered by police moments before he was struck and killed by a car on the M5 motorway in Somerset. Logan Smith, from Weston-super-Mare, had exited an ambulance that had stopped on the hard shoulder after paramedics became concerned for his welfare.
The incident occurred at around 11pm on 30 November, when the ambulance pulled over on the northbound carriageway near the junction for Weston-super-Mare. Mr Smith left the vehicle and walked onto the live lanes of the motorway. Paramedics called Avon and Somerset Police for assistance.
Body-worn video footage reviewed by the IOPC shows that an officer arrived shortly afterwards and attempted to engage with Mr Smith before deploying a Taser. The teenager fell to the ground and was then hit by a car travelling on the southbound carriageway. Despite emergency first aid, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Derrick Campbell, director of the IOPC, expressed his sympathies and confirmed an independent investigation. “We have taken initial accounts from the officer and ambulance staff involved,” he said. “We met with Logan’s family on Tuesday to give our condolences and explain our role.”
Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall of Avon and Somerset Police stated that the force is cooperating fully with the IOPC investigation. “Our thoughts are with the man’s family at such a devastating time,” she said. “A mandatory referral has been made, and an independent investigation is already under way.” The coroner has been informed, and a postmortem has been conducted.
