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CrashStats

M5 crash in Somerset on 10 May 1997 at 10:50 involving a Vauxhall Astra

A Vauxhall Astra and a Ford Escort were involved in a crash on the M5 in Somerset at 10:50 on Saturday 10 May 1997. The 40-year-old male driver of the Vauxhall Astra, a 72-year-old male passenger in the Ford Escort and the 72-year-old male driver of the Ford Escort 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
10 May 1997
Saturday, 10:50
Vehicles
2
Vauxhall Astra and Ford Escort
Casualties
3
3 slightly injured

Location of the crash

Police recorded the crash at latitude 51.09368, longitude -3.01666, in the TA6 postcode district and within the built-up area of North Petherton. The location was in the former Sedgemoor district.

Map of where the crash happened in Somerset

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  • 1 crash
  • Slight

Collision details

Basic information

Reference
1997520016813
Council area
Somerset
Police force
Avon and Somerset

Road and location details

First road class
Motorway
First road number
5
Road type
Dual carriageway
Speed limit
70 mph
Urban or rural
Rural
Trunk road
Trunk road (National Highways)

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, 100 metres away, was a serious injury crash on 15 June 1980.

Vehicles involved (2)

  • Vehicle 1: Vauxhall Astra

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South
    Travelling to
    North
    First point of impact
    Front
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    40 years
    Engine capacity
    1,389 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    5 years

  • Vehicle 2: Ford Escort

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South
    Travelling to
    North
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    72 years
    Engine capacity
    1,391 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    2 years

Casualties (3)

  • Casualty 1: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 40, car occupant, in vehicle 1 (Vauxhall Astra)

  • Casualty 2: Passenger

    Slight

    Male, aged 72, car occupant, in vehicle 2 (Ford Escort)

    Car passenger
    Front seat passenger

  • Casualty 3: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 72, car occupant, in vehicle 2 (Ford Escort)

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 1997520016813 in the data published on GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and one of the crashes counted in the Somerset road accident statistics for 1997.