Horror accidents of woman killed on busy M5 after escaping police in handcuffs
Tamzin Hall, 17, was fatally hit by a car on the M5 motorway in Somerset after she left a police vehicle while being transported to custody. She managed to release her handcuffs
Tamzin after being hit by a car on the M5(Image: )
A teenage girl was tragically killed on the M5 after escaping police custody, an inquest has heard.
Tamzin Hall was fatally struck as she dashed across the bustling motorway between junction 25 at Taunton, Somerset, and 24 at Bridgwater just after 11pm on November 11, 2024.
Social workers had alerted the police to a disturbance at the 17-year-old’s care home around 10.40pm, leading to her arrest for assault and criminal damage. She was transported in handcuffs in an Avon and Somerset Police car to the custody suite in Bridgwater via the M5 but managed to flee after the car pulled over onto the northbound hard shoulder for “safety reasons”.
Despite being handcuffed and seated next to an officer, she succeeded in exiting the vehicle and scaling the crash barrier before being tragically hit by a car on the southbound side of the motorway.
A pre-inquest review on January 7 at Taunton Coroner’s Court on Tuesday was presided over by senior coroner Samantha Marsh who stated that the inquest into Tamzin’s death would be heard by a jury, reports the Mirror.
A spokesperson for the Hall family emphasised their belief that the driver involved was “not at fault at all” for Tamzin’s death. A provisional date for the inquest has been set for January 11, 2027, at Wells Town Hall, with the inquest expected to last between two and three weeks.
Tuesday’s hearing was attended by members of Tamzin’s family, including her mother, representatives for Avon and Somerset Police, and the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident.
Tamzin, a student from Wellington, Somerset, suffered fatal injuries to her head, neck and chest, and was pronounced dead at 11.10pm. Her injuries were so severe that she had to be identified by her fingerprints.
During an initial inquest in 2024, Ben Batley, an investigator from the Somerset Coroner’s Office, stated: “Her injuries were not survivable and Tamzin was declared deceased where she was found on the motorway.”
A report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) detailed how she managed to remove her handcuffs and move from the rear passenger seat to the front passenger seat of the police car, which was parked on the side of the motorway.
The IOPC report, which did not mention Tamzin by name, stated: “A female child was arrested for assault and criminal damage. She was placed in the rear passenger side of a marked police car and handcuffed with her hands positioned in front. An officer was seated next to her during transport.
“While on her way to custody, the child managed to remove her handcuffs, climb into the front passenger seat, access the front passenger door and get out.”
The IOPC announced that two officers from Avon and Somerset Police have been served misconduct notices for a “potential breach of their duties and responsibilities”. These notices inform officers that their conduct is under investigation, but it does not necessarily mean that any disciplinary proceedings will follow.
Tamzin’s mum Amy Hall has slammed the authorities for ‘desperately failing’ her daughter. Considering Tamzin’s dangerous behaviour patterns, she argues her child should have been transported in a police van instead of a standard vehicle.
“My question is – how did she manage to get out of the handcuffs and out of the car with two police officers?” she questioned.
Amy revealed how her daughter’s troubles began following her father’s death from cancer when Tamzin was merely eight years old. Tamzin, who had autism and struggled with mental health difficulties, became disruptive at school and was eventually ‘removed’ by social services to reside in a care facility.
“Tamzin would be sent out of class, she found it overwhelming and got very anxious. They didn’t know that at the time so it just looked like bad behaviour,” Amy explained. “You think of children that go into care because there’s problems at home, but Tamzin came from a loving family home and she was well loved and looked after. Then suddenly she was taken away from me and you have to trust the people to look after her.
“It was completely the wrong environment for her. She missed home, she missed me. She used to say: ‘I know why I can’t be at home. My behaviour is scary sometimes for the other children’. It was such a difficult situation to be in as a parent. But the professional side of things – that’s what she needed and that’s what she never got.”
Speaking about the day of her daughter’s death, she said Tamzin had been acting ‘very strange’ and was ‘agitated’ and had been drinking. “I sent numerous messages to staff that day, saying I have real concerns but I felt they were ignored. She wanted to go out and she wasn’t allowed to go out, that’s all I know. Did they always need to call the police? I wasn’t there but sometimes I think the way they handled talking to her would make a situation worse.”
Avon and Somerset Police said in a previous statement: “It’s clear how loved she was and how much she is dearly missed by those who knew her. We are committed to being open and transparent about what happened and we have said from the outset that we will do whatever we can to assist the IOPC’s enquiries.
“We are also mindful of the welfare of our officers who were at the scene at the time of Tamzin’s death. We are ensuring their welfare is considered and they receive the necessary support during the course of this investigation.”
A spokesperson for Somerset Council, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and young people’s care charity Homes2Inspire – all organisations involved in Tamzin’s care – told the BBC: “Our thoughts remain with Amy, Tamzin’s family, and all those affected by this devastating incident.
“We are supporting the IOPC investigation into the circumstances leading up to Tamzin’s tragic death and do not want to prejudice this process by commenting further at this time.”
