The 17-year-old girl who died after being hit by a car on the M5 motorway in Somerset had escaped from a police vehicle just minutes before the collision.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the teenager was detained when he exited his Avon and Somerset Police vehicle.

Avon and Somerset Police said the police vehicle was stopped on the northbound carriageway between junctions 25 and 24.

He was hit by a car on the southbound carriageway around 11pm on Monday.

Medical teams responded to the highway within a few minutes, but it was determined that the girl died at the scene.

Police said the victim’s family had been informed of the situation and described the teenager’s death as “tragic”.

A spokesman for the IOPC said: “We sent our investigators to the police post-incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.

“We offer our condolences to the girl’s loved ones and everyone affected by her death.”

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No one else was injured in the incident.

Avon and Somerset Police have made a mandatory referral to the IOPC, who are currently investigating the incident.

The M5 was closed in both directions between junctions 24 at Bridgwater and 25 at Taunton following the incident.

National Highways confirmed the highway reopened in both directions shortly after 11am on Tuesday.