Great Western Coffee Shop

A train crash with a similar death toll would be called a "disaster" and not an "accident", and would be disscussed and inquired into for years.

North Petherton Carnival Cancelled

Unfortunately the North Petherton Carnival has been cancelled.

The decision was made by organisers following advice from a multi-agency contingency meeting including Police, Fire and Rescue, Highways Agency, Ambulance Service and local authorities who have been dealing with the overnight incidents on both the M5 and the environmental issues in Bridgwater.

It was felt that the road network would be placed under further pressure with high volumes of traffic already diverted from the M5 following the multiple RTC.

In addition, it was felt that the logistics of ensuring emergency routes and moving the carts from Bridgwater to North Petherton would create further delays and strain on already congested roads.

The carts will now be moved from Bridgwater to Burnham-on-Sea via the A38/Taunton Road, via Highbridge to The Queensway in Burnham. This will take place from 2pm today and congestion and delays are expected on this route until approximately 5pm.

The Queensway in Burnham-on-Sea will be shut from 4pm today until approximately 11.30pm after the carnival on Monday.

Police are requesting that the public avoid these sections of the A38 between these times wherever possible.

All the emergency services and partner agencies are thanking the public for their patience and understanding regarding the road closures and delays surrounding the M5 and Bridgwater incidents.

Cause: driving faster than the drivers ability to stop in an Emergency. Obvious. Oh, an TIRs dont just jacknife on their own

What else caused it then? A meteorite?!!

Did you not read what I posted in bold earlier in the thread. Please reconsider your post.

At least seven dead after M5 smash

At least seven people have been killed and 51 injured in a devastating motorway pile-up said to be among the worst UK collisions in memory.

Police said the death toll from the crash on the M5 in Somerset on Friday night was expected to rise as the recovery operation continued.

Some 34 vehicles were involved in the accident, which happened in wet and foggy conditions and was described by emergency workers as "the worst road traffic collision anyone can remember".

Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Bangham of Somerset and Avon Police said: "Seven people are confirmed to have died as a result of this tragic incident and we do believe there could be more deaths.

"Our thoughts are with those who may have lost loved ones as a result of last night's collision.

"A large-scale multi-agency operation continues at the scene to remove vehicles, check that there are no other casualties and repair the carriageway. This is a hugely complex operation because of the scale of vehicles and people involved. All vehicles will need to be removed from the scene for forensic examination and this of course takes time."

Of the casualties, 25 were taken to Yeovil District Hospital and 17 of the more seriously injured to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, he said. Nine others were taken to a temporary holding unit set up by the ambulance service.

The crash, which triggered a "massive fireball", took place close to the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival and it was suggested that smoke from the event could have worsened the fog on the road.

Police could not say whether the fireworks display might have been a factor, but Mr Bangham said it was "certainly something we'll be looking at closely".

He said: "There's a number of factors that came into play. It was dark - it was about 8.25pm - it was particularly poor weather last night, we had fog banks on the motorway and we also had wet surface issues. There were also other factors coming into play: there were events going on in the evening and of course we need to have a very close look at what was going on in the area that may have caused some sort of distraction."

but this was always going to happen eventually on this road

M5 crash police find no more bodies

No more bodies have been found at the scene of the crash on the M5 which killed seven people, police have said.

It had been feared the death toll from Friday evening's crash in Somerset could rise and emergency services had been searching for more victims. But Avon and Somerset Police said on Sunday morning all vehicles had been removed from the site and their "worst fears have not been realised".

A stretch of the M5 is expected to stay closed for the rest of the weekend. The 34-vehicle pile-up left 51 people injured.

Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said: "Overnight all the vehicles involved in this tragic incident have been removed from the scene. Our worst fears have not been realised and the number of those that sadly lost their lives remains at seven.

"Extensive work has been carried out to identify those people and families are being appointed family liaison officers to support them. Formal identification has not taken place - this will happen in the coming days."

Samworth Brothers, which owns Cornwall-based pasty firm Ginsters, said two of its vehicles, a Ginsters and a Samworth lorry, were involved in the crash. A spokesman for frozen food retailer Iceland confirmed one of the firm's lorries had also been involved.

Officers are examining whether fog or smoke from a nearby bonfire and fireworks event may have been a factor in the crash, which happened at junction 25, near Taunton.

Four private ambulances left the site of the crash late on Saturday.

People concerned about relatives should call the emergency helpline on 0800 092 0410.

The motorway remains closed between junctions 24 and 25.

Officers said the pile-up, which happened on the northbound carriageway at about 20:30 GMT, had led to a "massive fireball" at the scene.

Investigators are looking into what caused the crash, which witnesses said happened as the road was wet and foggy in patches.

Witnesses described how smoke had been produced from a fireworks display at Taunton Rugby Club, near the motorway.

The club made no comment on the matter, but confirmed the display had taken place between 20:00 and 20:15 GMT on Friday.

Of the injured, 25 were taken to Yeovil District Hospital, 17 of the more seriously injured are being treated at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton and nine were treated at the scene.

Twenty-three of those taken to Yeovil have since been discharged.

Mr Bangham said: "Once the carriageway is clear, a large operation will take place to repair the road surface and clear fuel spillages." He said the issue of whether nearby fireworks events were a factor in the crash was "certainly something we'll be looking at closely".

"There are a number of factors that came into play," he said. "It was dark, it was particularly poor weather... we had fog banks on the motorway and we also had wet surface issues. There were events going on in the evening and of course we need to have a very close look at what was going on in the area that may have caused some sort of distraction."

On Saturday, he described the crash scene as "horrific" and said the incident had been "very, very challenging" for emergency crews.

He also praised the bravery of members of the public who had tried to help others caught up in the crash. "The intensity of the fire - it was a fireball on the carriageway - made it incredibly difficult for people to approach. People did their very best."

Police have not confirmed the age or sex of the people killed but Mr Bangham said four of the casualties had been in one vehicle.

Witness Tom Hamill, 25, from Wells, Somerset, described how he helped a woman and her child to safety over the central reservation in the aftermath of the crash. He said: "I clambered out of the car and the first thing I heard was a mother of a small 18-month-old baby shouting 'take my baby, take my baby - my husband's trapped inside the car.' So I took the baby and carried it over the central reservation."

Mr Hamill, who had been travelling with his father and girlfriend, said that at the time of the crash he slowed down and veered into the central reservation, which he thought had "saved our lives".

He added: "The thing that made me realise how bad it was, was you could hear the thud of cars hitting into lorries. One car overtook us going at about 60 or 70 miles an hour and just crashed straight into a lorry."

Transport Secretary Justine Greening said on Saturday it was too early to consider what measures could be taken to prevent similar accidents. She paid tribute to emergency crews, saying there had been "real acts of heroism", and expressed her "deepest sympathies" with the affected families.

Hundreds of people have paid tribute to the dead and injured and their families on Facebook.

Britain's worst road crashes

20 October 2008: Family-of-six killed in crash on the M6.

7 May 2007: Six people killed on the M25 when a rescue truck carrying a minibus collides with a lorry.

10 July 2003: Seven people killed when a minibus collides with a car on the M56.

17 November 1993: Crash on the M40 leaves 12 children dead.

March 13 1991: Ten people killed in a 51-car pile-up on the M4.

28 October 1987: Truck collides with stationary traffic on the M61 killing 12 people.

21 October 1985: Coach collides with stationary traffic on the M6 killing 13 people.

27 May 1975: Coach carrying pensioners comes off bridge in North Yorkshire, killing 32 people, in Britain's worst ever road accident.

It would appear the following needs repeating - possibly because it's slipped to the previous page. Thanks.