Six people were taken to hospital after three separate crashes along the same stretch of the M5 this morning, according to emergency services. One of the eight vehicles involved was a coach, police said.
Police, ambulance, and the fire service were all called to the M5 southbound between junctions 21 for Weston-super-Mare and 22 for Burnham-on-Sea at 10.15am this morning. Eight vehicles, including a coach, were involved in three crashes at the same time on the carriageway.
The ambulance service said that six patients were taken to hospital by land ambulance, and an air ambulance was also deployed to the scene, which resulted in both sides of the motorway being closed. The fire service deployed 17 firefighters from Avonmouth and Weston-super-Mare to assist the paramedics at the scene.
LIVE UPDATES: Crash near Weston-super-Mare leaves six in hospital
All traffic was held in both directions on the M5 as the air ambulance landed at the scene. All lanes were closed on the M5 southbound as the incident was dealt with, and lanes two and three were reopened by 11.45am.
A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said: “We were called at 10.16am to a road traffic incident on the M5 between junctions 21 and 22. We sent an air ambulance, two double-crewed land ambulances, two operations officers, and a hazardous area response team, and conveyed six patients to hospital by land ambulance.”
A spokesperson for Avon Fire and Rescue Service said: "17 firefighters from Avonmouth and Weston-super-Mare were called at 10.20am to reports of a road traffic collision on the M5 southbound between Junction 21 and 22.
"On arrival, crews found an incident involving four vehicles. Firefighters assisted ambulance crews with casualty care, using medical kits and small gear.
"Casualties [were] being conveyed to hospital by the ambulance service."
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: "Emergency services attended collisions on the M5 southbound between junctions 21 for Weston-super-Mare and 22 for Burnham-on-Sea.
"The first call came in to police just after 10.15am today, Thursday 24 February. Eight vehicles, including a coach, were involved in three separate collisions on the same section of road at that time.
"The fire and rescue service and air and land ambulances attended. Traffic on the northbound carriageway was stopped briefly to allow the air ambulance to land and lift. One person went to hospital by land ambulance with injuries not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
"Lanes two and three were reopened by 11.45am. The lane one closure was handed to National Highways at about midday pending recovery of the vehicles."
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