Man dies as two multiple-vehicle crashes happen on same motorway stretch

A man has died and another motorist was seriously injured in two separate crashes on the same stretch of motorway.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the incidents, which both involved multiple vehicles, happened on the M5 southbound near Willand, Devon on Thursday night.

Emergency services were initially called at about 9.50pm after a three-vehicle collision near Junction 28 which left one driver in his 60s seriously injured.

A second collision happened at 11.10pm in which one driver died at the scene.

A man has been arrested in connection with this crash, which happened on the approach to the location of the first incident.

The M5, which is a vital route for travel in the region, was closed and did not fully reopen until 1pm on Friday, causing long delays.

The first collision involved a blue Vauxhall Zafira, a silver Ford Ka and a white Porsche Boxster.

Four vehicles were involved in the second incident.

They were an orange Land Rover Discovery, a blue Volkswagen Transporter, a silver Toyota Prius and a black Kia Ceed.

The Toyota driver, a man in his 30s from Plymouth, died in the crash.

His next-of-kin have been informed.

Police are appealing for any relevant information or dashcam footage from either crash.

Superintendent for roads policing Joe Mathews said: “Our thoughts are with all those injured in these collisions and with the family and friends of the man who died.

“These incidents resulted in two challenging scenes and members of the public held within tailbacks and traffic for several hours.”

He said the emergency services “worked tirelessly to undertake two complex investigations alongside assisting people held at the scene”.

He added: “The M5 was impacted by closures for around 15 hours.

“We recognise the impact of this through the morning rush-hour was keenly felt.

“Our aim of returning the M5 to normality was achieved, with the northbound carriageway opening around 11am and the southbound at approximately 1pm.

“The patience and understanding of people impacted by this event is genuinely appreciated.

“Police continue the investigation today, with specialist officers supporting the families of those directly involved.”