M5 reopens after crash near Taunton

The M5 was closed for several hours today (23 October) southbound between J25, A358 (Taunton) and J26, A38 (Wellington) due to an accident involving two lorries.

The log from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue is as follows:

Two fire appliances and a rescue tender from Taunton, together with the heavy rescue vehicle and support vehicle from Middlemoor, were mobilised following a call from the Highways Agency requesting our attendance to a 2 vehicle RTC, person trapped, involving 2 lorries.

On arrival crews confirmed this RTC involved 2 HGV lorries, where one had gone into the back of another, trapping the male driver in the rear vehicle. After liaising with paramedics and Police, already on scene from a previous incident, crews set to work preparing an access route for paramedics in order to extricate the casualty.

Update 04:55hrs - This incident is now complete and was brought under control at 04:25hrs. Crews extricated the male casualty into the hands of paramedics, using 3 sets of hydraulic cutting equip and 2 LGV platforms, before making the vehicles and scene safe with 1 hose reel jet and small tools. The casualty was then transferred to hospital via road ambulance and duty of care was left with Police and Highways.

All lanes were reopened just after 10am.