The M5 near Gloucester remained closed for around eight hours last night (December 18) after a teenage girl sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital – and now, police have explained why. The incident was first reported at around 4.45pm, when all traffic was held on the motorway between Junction 11A for Gloucester/Cirencester, and Junction 12 for Quedgeley/Hardwicke.
The southbound carriageway was closed shortly after 5.30pm – and by 9.30pm, Gloucestershire Police had reported that a teenage girl had suffered “serious injuries” and been taken to Bristol Children’s Hospital, with her next of kin informed. You can read all about the incident here.
However, the M5 southbound then remained closed for several more hours, only reopening in the early hours of this morning (December 19), at around 12.30am. Now, Gloucestershire Police have explained why it was necessary to keep the motorway closed, and have acknowledged the “significant impact” this would have had on drivers around the county.
In a statement released on Thursday, a police spokesperson said: “We are aware that the closure of the M5 yesterday evening had a significant impact on people using the roads across our county. The motorway was closed in both directions between Junctions 11a and 12 for several hours to allow emergency services to attend to an injured girl.
“Once the girl had been taken to hospital, officers then had to examine the scene as part of their investigation into the incident. Forensic investigation, including mapping of the scene, can take time to complete, whilst the weather can also be a hindrance.
“Nevertheless, evidence must be collected with the appropriate precision and, as such, with incidents occurring on roads, there is a limited period for officers to gather this. Officers liaised with National Highways, who manage the motorway network, following the initial report, and requested the M5 was closed at Junction 11, to allow traffic trapped between Junctions 11a and 12 to turn around and leave the carriageway.
“While the decision was made to keep Junction 11 open, officers worked with National Highways to free those trapped in the queue as quickly and safely as possible. The northbound carriageway reopened at around 7pm, but the southbound remained closed until shortly after midnight today (Thursday 19 December).
“The safety of our officers and the public is our utmost priority, and we hope people understand the reason why the closure was necessary, and would like to thank those affected for their patience while the incident was responded to. The girl remains in a serious condition at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, and our thoughts remain with her and her family at this time.”
Officers are also appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, or may have relevant dashcam footage, to come forward. If you have any information, you can provide it to police by completing this form, and quoting incident 319 of December 18.