Teen Runs from Ambulance on Busy Highway and Fatally Hit by Car

It was supposed to be a routine ambulance ride. Instead, it ended in horror on one of England’s busiest highways.

Logan Smith, just 18 years old, was being taken to the hospital late on November 30 when paramedics suddenly pulled over on the M5 motorway in Somerset. Officials say they stopped “due to concerns” about his condition — but what happened next has left an entire community demanding answers.

According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Logan got out of the ambulance and stumbled into the live lanes of the highway. Panicked medical staff called for police backup as traffic rushed past in the darkness. Moments later, a responding officer arrived — and fired a Taser.

Bodycam footage viewed by investigators shows the teen collapsing to the asphalt seconds after the stun gun was discharged. Before anyone could reach him, a car barreled down the road and struck him at high speed. Logan died at the scene.

“This is a shocking and tragic loss,” said IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell. “We are investigating every decision made that night, including the use of the Taser. Our thoughts are with Logan’s family and everyone affected by this horrific incident.”

Police say the coroner has been notified and an autopsy completed, though results have not yet been made public. The officer involved has given an initial statement, as have the paramedics who were with Logan before he ran.

Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall called the situation “heartbreaking,” adding that the incident had deeply affected emergency personnel. “Our thoughts are with Logan’s family,” she said. “We are ensuring full welfare support for our officers, ambulance crews, and members of the public who witnessed this tragedy.”

The crash has reignited fierce debate across the U.K. about police use of Tasers, particularly during mental health crises. Critics argue the weapon is too often used against vulnerable individuals instead of de-escalation tactics.

On social media, anger has erupted. “He needed help, not a weapon,” one local commenter wrote, summing up the outrage spreading through the small community. Others have demanded transparency from Avon and Somerset Police, saying the public deserves to know why a stun gun was used on a teenager already in distress.

For now, Logan’s family waits for answers. The IOPC says it will release more details once their investigation concludes — but the haunting image of an ambulance stopped on a dark highway, and a teenager’s final moments after a flash of electricity, will not soon be forgotten.

Source: Independent Office for Police Conduct, Avon and Somerset Police, BBC News.