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CrashStats

M5 crash in Exeter on 21 December 1987 at 16:00 involving a lorry

A lorry and a car were involved in a crash on the M5 in Exeter at 16:00 on Monday 21 December 1987. The 34-year-old male driver of the lorry, the 65-year-old male driver of the car and a 63-year-old female passenger in the car were slightly injured.

It happened in daylight in fine weather on a dry dual carriageway with a 70 mph limit, away from any junction.

Severity
Slight
Date
21 Dec 1987
Monday, 16:00
Vehicles
2
Lorry and car
Casualties
3
3 slightly injured

Location of the crash

Police recorded the crash at latitude 50.691, longitude -3.47811, in the EX2 postcode district and within the built-up area of Topsham.

Map of where the crash happened in Exeter

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  • 1 crash
  • Slight

Collision details

Basic information

Reference
198750D212121
Council area
Exeter
Police force
Devon and Cornwall

Road and location details

First road class
Motorway
First road number
5
Road type
Dual carriageway
Speed limit
70 mph

Junction information

Junction type
Not at junction or within 20 metres

Pedestrian crossing information

Crossing facilities
No physical crossing facility within 50 m

Environmental conditions

Light conditions
Daylight
Weather
Fine, no high winds
Road surface
Dry

The 6 nearest recorded crashes

The nearest, 22 metres away, was a serious injury crash on 26 March 1981.

Vehicles involved (2)

  • Vehicle 1: Lorry

    Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes

    Towing and articulation
    Articulated vehicle
    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    North East
    Travelling to
    South West
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    Leaving the carriageway
    Offside, crossed central reservation
    Hit object off carriageway
    Central crash barrier
    First point of impact
    Front
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    34 years

  • Vehicle 2: Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    North East
    Travelling to
    South West
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    65 years

Casualties (3)

  • Casualty 1: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 34, goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes), in vehicle 1 (Lorry)

  • Casualty 2: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 65, car occupant, in vehicle 2 (Car)

  • Casualty 3: Passenger

    Slight

    Female, aged 63, car occupant, in vehicle 2 (Car)

    Car passenger
    Front seat passenger

Data source

This record comes from the Department for Transport’s road safety data (STATS19), in which police forces in Great Britain record every road crash reported to them where someone was injured. It is reference 198750D212121 in the data published on GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and one of the crashes counted in the Exeter road accident statistics for 1987.