An 18-year-old male was tasered by law enforcement on a highway before being struck by a vehicle and fatally injured, according to the police oversight agency.
The incident occurred on a Sunday evening when Logan Smith disembarked from an ambulance on the M5 near the Weston-super-Mare junction. The young man was en route to a hospital when ambulance personnel halted the vehicle on the shoulder of the northbound M5 after 11pm due to safety concerns, as reported by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Logan then exited the stationary vehicle and entered the active lanes of the motorway.
Upon ambulance staff requesting police assistance, a lone officer arrived at the scene. The officer in duty endeavored to guide the individual to safety, as stated by the police. Video footage from the officer’s body-worn camera captured the officer’s attempts to interact with Logan and subsequently deploying a Taser, leading to the 18-year-old falling to the ground, according to the IOPC. Shortly after this, Logan was struck by a vehicle on the southbound carriageway. Despite immediate medical attention, he sadly passed away at the scene.
The IOPC is currently probing the actions of Avon and Somerset Police leading up to Logan’s demise.
Director Derrick Campbell of the IOPC expressed, “My condolences and thoughts are with Logan’s loved ones and all those impacted by this distressing and tragic event. We want to assure everyone that we will conduct an impartial investigation into all aspects of this incident, including the Taser usage.”
“After being informed by the police force, our investigators were dispatched to examine the post-incident procedures of the police and commence evidence collection. Preliminary statements have been obtained from the officer and ambulance personnel involved,” Campbell added.
“We held discussions with Logan’s family on Tuesday to offer our condolences, clarify our role, and provide details regarding our investigation, including the Taser deployment during the incident. We will continue to keep them informed, and they have requested privacy during this challenging period.”
Avon and Somerset Police previously stated, “Regrettably, a man passed away following a collision on the M5 on Sunday evening (30 November). At 11:04 pm, the ambulance service informed us that a patient had exited an ambulance that had stopped on the northbound carriageway between junction 21 (Weston-super-Mare) and 20 (Clevedon) for additional treatment while en route to the hospital.”
“The patient, an 18-year-old male, was subsequently reported to be on the motorway. An on-duty officer came upon the incident and endeavored to bring the individual to safety to minimize risks to him and the public. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, the individual was involved in a collision with a southbound vehicle and succumbed to his injuries at the scene despite the efforts of emergency responders.”
The coroner has been notified, and a post-mortem examination has been conducted.