A man was arrested last night after causing significant disruption on the M5 near Bridgwater. Witnesses reported seeing him hitting cars and climbing on their roofs, prompting Avon and Somerset Police to shut the motorway between Junctions 23 and 24 around 11:20 pm on Thursday, July 16.
Reports began when officers were alerted to a man walking along the carriageway and approaching vehicles. Eyewitnesses described the bizarre scene, saying the man was even spotted on top of a vehicle. “Four officers got him off the roof and escorted him to the roadside. He was shouting incoherently, and at one point, about eight officers formed a circle around him,” one witness said.
The man’s car was later found abandoned on the southbound side of the M5. Prioritizing public safety, police implemented a road closure while emergency services handled the incident.
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The man was taken initially to Musgrove Park Hospital before being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was then transferred to police custody, where he remains this morning.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police confirmed: “The M5 was closed between Junctions 23 and 24 after reports of a man on foot on the carriageway and approaching vehicles. His car was found abandoned nearby. Public safety was paramount, so the closure was necessary while emergency services attended. The individual was detained, evaluated at Musgrove Park Hospital, and subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving unfit through alcohol or drugs. He remains in police custody.”