A teenage girl who was killed after being struck by a vehicle while escaping a police car on the M5 has been named.
Tamzin Hall, 17, was hit by a car travelling southbound on the busy motorway between Bridgwater (Junction 24) and Taunton (Junction 25) in Somerset on Monday.
The teenager, from Wellington, was being taken to custody when she exited the police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway.
Tamzin was then struck by another vehicle shortly after 11pm and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed a mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
In an update on Thursday, a spokesman for the force said: ‘The formal identification process has been completed this afternoon following the death of a teenage girl in a collision on the M5 in Somerset earlier this week.’
They added: ‘Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.
‘A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.
‘The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.’
Avon and Somerset Police have faced serious questions about why they initially appeared to minimise their own involvement in the tragedy.
At the time of the crash, the police only said that the M5 was closed following a fatal collision between a ‘pedestrian and a car’ and neglected to mention she had fled their vehicle.
It was only some six hours later – after the IOPC revealed it was investigating – the force disclosed the full circumstances.
IOPC Director David Ford said: ‘This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.
‘We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.
‘Our role is to independently investigate all the circumstances surrounding this incident.
‘As soon as we were notified by Avon and Somerset Police, we sent our investigators to the police post incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.
‘Our investigation is at an early stage. So far, we have initial accounts from officers involved and we are obtaining statements from several witnesses.’
The police watchdog said a coroner has been informed, and a post-mortem was carried out this afternoon.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement at the time that the teenager’s next of kin had been informed and were being supported by a specially trained officer, adding: ‘Our thoughts are with them.
They added: ‘No one else was injured in the collision. The M5 is expected to remain closed for some time while enquiries are carried out.
‘A mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to recent prior police contact.’
But after it emerged the teenager was escaping the police car, the force put out a further statement.
It read: ‘We can confirm the 17-year-old was being transported in a police vehicle shortly before the fatal collision.
‘The officers stopped the vehicle while heading northbound between junctions 25 (Taunton) and 24 (Bridgwater).
‘The girl exited the stationary police vehicle, and she was subsequently tragically involved in a collision on the southbound carriageway involving another vehicle, shortly after 11pm.
‘The ambulance service were called and attended within a few minutes. The girl was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene.’
