Officers investigated over death of teenager with autism who escaped police car on M5

Two police officers have been served with misconduct notices after a teenager with autism escaped from a police car and died on the M5.

Tamzin Hall, from Wellington, was hit by a car on the M5 between junction 25 at Taunton and 24 at Bridgwater shortly after 11pm on 11 November and sustained fatal injuries.

She had been under arrest at the time and was travelling in an Avon and Somerset Police car which had stopped on the motorway, an inquest at Wells Town Hall heard earlier this week.

Tamzin was being taken to custody when officers pulled over for “safety reasons”, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said.

She had been handcuffed with her hands in front of her and had an officer sat beside her, the IOPC added.

She fled the stationary marked police car on the northbound carriageway and died after she was hit by a car on the southbound carriageway.

Regional director David Ford said: “My thoughts and sympathies remain with Tamzin’s family and friends, and everyone affected by the tragic events of that evening.

“We have met with Tamzin’s family to offer our condolences and to outline how our investigation will progress. We will provide them with regular updates as our inquiries continue.

“Our investigation is in the early stages and we are working hard to establish the exact circumstances of what took place, from the time of Tamzin’s arrest, to how events unfolded a short time later on the M5.”

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