Mother Honors Daughter Who Died on M5 After Fleeing Police Vehicle

The mother of a 17-year-old girl, who passed away following an incident on the M5 after leaving a police vehicle, has honored her “beautiful daughter”. Tamzin Hall, a resident of Wellington, Somerset, suffered fatal injuries when she was hit by a vehicle between junction 25 at Taunton and junction 24 at Bridgwater just after 23:00 GMT on 11 November. During the initial hearing of an inquest into her demise, it was revealed that Tamzin was under arrest and was a passenger in an Avon and Somerset Police vehicle that had come to a halt on the motorway. Following the hearing, Tamzin’s mother, Amy Hall, issued a statement in which she characterized her eldest daughter as her “best friend” and stated that the loss had left their family “devastated”. Ms. Hall mentioned that Tamzin, who had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, was “taken far too young”. She remarked, “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,” Ms. Hall added. “She was my shadow from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning until she went to sleep at night,” her mother continued. “She was such an intelligent young girl and had such interesting perceptions on things in life,” Ms. Hall also stated. She further expressed: “Tamzin was my absolute everything and I can’t believe she isn’t here anymore. She was my world.” At the inquest’s commencement at Wells Town Hall, it was heard that Tamzin, a student, exited the vehicle, traversed the road, and then scaled the crash barrier. A vehicle operated by a member of the public, proceeding on the southbound carriageway, struck her, causing fatal head, neck, and chest injuries. Ben Batley, a coroner’s officer, informed the hearing: “Tamzin was a passenger under arrest in a police vehicle travelling on the northbound carriageway on the M5 when it stopped for reasons yet to be established.” Mr. Batley detailed how Tamzin subsequently exited the car, crossed the northbound lane, ascended the barrier, and moved onto the southbound lane, where she was hit. Tamzin was pronounced deceased at 23:10 GMT and identified through fingerprint comparison. Mr. Batley stated, “Her injuries were not survivable and Tamzin was declared deceased where she was found on the motorway.” “Police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) inquiries are ongoing as to the circumstances of the collision and how Tamzin came to be where she was found,” he added. Mr. Batley indicated that a post-mortem examination provisionally attributed the cause of death to head, neck, and chest injuries, pending additional investigations. Samantha Marsh, the senior coroner for Somerset, declared: “On the basis of the information provided to me, I believe I should open an inquest into the death of Tamzin Ellen Hall.” She postponed the proceedings until a pre-inquest review hearing scheduled for 5 November next year, a date Mrs. Marsh noted was the earliest possible due to the case’s intricate nature. Tamzin’s family, the Avon and Somerset Police, the IOPC, and the driver of the vehicle involved in the collision with Tamzin were identified as interested parties in the inquest. The details surrounding Tamzin’s arrest and her transport, along with how she exited the police car and subsequent events, will also be investigated. Further information on following BBC Somerset on social media platforms Facebook and X, and contact details for submitting story ideas via email or WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630, were appended. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites, with further details available regarding its approach to external linking.