Two police officers have been served with misconduct notices after a 17-year-old girl was hit and killed on the M5 having escaped a police car.
Tamzin Hall was being taken to custody on November 11 when officers pulled over for ‘safety reasons’ on the M5, the IOPC said, adding she had been handcuffed with her hands in front of her and had an officer sat beside her.
She fled the stationary marked police car on the northbound carriageway and died after being hit by a vehicle on the southbound side.
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.’
Describing her daughter as her ‘best friend’, Tamzin’s mother Amy Hall previously spoke of the family’s ‘devastation’ over the teenager’s passing.
Amy said: ‘Tamzin was the most kindest, caring, loving, loyal girl ever. She was the most honest person I’ve ever known; she was very special to me.’
Tamzin Hall, from Wellington, Somerset, was hit on the motorway between Bridgewater and Taunton
In her tributes to her daughter, Ms Hall went on to say how her daughter was diagnosed with autism and saw the world in ‘such a different way’.
She said: ‘She had a great sense of humour, and we had many laughs together.
‘She was my shadow from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning until she went to sleep at night. She was such an intelligent young girl and had such interesting perceptions on things in life.’
The mother added: ‘Tamzin was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, so she was unique and saw the world in such a different way.
‘Tamzin was my absolute everything and I can’t believe she isn’t here anymore. She was my world.
‘She put her all into absolutely everything. She loved helping out as a young child, if you set her a task, she would put her all into it and want it just right.
Tamzin was struck by an oncoming vehicle on the southbound carriageway of the M5 between J24 and J25
‘She was always so thoughtful and would put others before herself. She loved the simple things in life, talking and her family. Plus, she absolutely loved chocolate – she was chocolate mad!’
Amy continued: ‘Tamzin was such a wonderful daughter. She was a beautiful person.
‘My life will never be the same but I’m using my strength for my other children, Tamzin’s siblings.
‘She was only 17 but she has taught me a lot and I can use that memory and hold on to that.
‘I will never ever get over it, she was taken far too young.’