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An 18-year-old who got out of an ambulance on the M5 was tasered by police before he was hit by a car and killed, the police watchdog has said.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it is investigating the actions and decisions taken by Avon and Somerset Police prior to the death of Logan Smith on the motorway near Weston-super-Mare on Sunday.
The teenager was being taken to hospital in an ambulance when it stopped on the hard shoulder just after 11pm because of the concerns of paramedics.
Logan got out of the ambulance near the junction for Weston-super-Mare and was in the live lanes of the motorway.
The IOPC said ambulance staff called the police and a single-crewed officer arrived at the scene.
Body-worn video footage shows the officer attempting to engage with Mr Smith before later discharging their Taser, causing Logan to fall to the ground, the watchdog said.
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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it is investigating the actions and decisions taken by Avon and Somerset Police prior to the death of Logan Smith on the motorway near Weston-super-Mare (Getty Images)
He was struck by a car on the southbound carriageway shortly afterwards and died at the scene.
IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said: “My thoughts and sympathies are with Logan’s family and friends and everyone affected by this shocking and tragic incident.
“We want to reassure everyone that we will independently investigate all the circumstances surrounding this incident, including the use of a Taser.
“After being notified by the force, we sent our investigators to the police post incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.
“We have taken initial accounts from the officer and ambulance staff involved.
“We met with Logan’s family on Tuesday, to give our condolences, explain our role and to provide some further detail about our investigation, including a Taser being discharged during the incident.
“We will continue to keep them updated and they request that their privacy be respected at such a difficult time.”
A spokesperson for the IOPC said the coroner has been informed and formal identification and a post-mortem have taken place.