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CrashStats

M5 crash in Bristol on 7 October 1997 at 13:40 involving a Volvo van

A Volvo van, a Mercedes van and a van were involved in a crash on the M5 in Bristol at 13:40 on Tuesday 7 October 1997. The 38-year-old male driver of the Mercedes van and a 41-year-old female passenger in the Mercedes van were slightly injured.

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

Severity
Slight
Date
7 Oct 1997
Tuesday, 13:40
Vehicles
3
Volvo and 2 others
Casualties
2
2 slightly injured

Location of the crash

Police recorded the crash at latitude 51.489, longitude -2.69287, in the BS11 postcode district.

Map of where the crash happened in Bristol

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  • 1 crash
  • Slight

Collision details

Basic information

Reference
1997520085731
Council area
Bristol
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
Wet or damp
Special conditions at the site
Roadworks
Carriageway hazards
Roadworks

The 6 nearest recorded crashes

The nearest, 4 metres away, was a serious injury crash on 10 February 2025.

Vehicles involved (3)

  • Vehicle 1: Volvo

    Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes

    Towing and articulation
    Articulated vehicle
    Manoeuvre
    Slowing or stopping
    Travelling from
    North East
    Travelling to
    South West
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    50 years

  • Vehicle 2: Mercedes

    Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes

    Manoeuvre
    Slowing or stopping
    Travelling from
    North East
    Travelling to
    South West
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    38 years

  • Vehicle 3: Van

    Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes

    Towing and articulation
    Articulated vehicle
    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    North East
    Travelling to
    South West
    First point of impact
    Front
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    46 years

Casualties (2)

  • Casualty 1: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 38, van occupant, in vehicle 2 (Mercedes)

  • Casualty 2: Passenger

    Slight

    Female, aged 41, van occupant, in vehicle 2 (Mercedes)

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 1997520085731 in the data published on GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and one of the crashes counted in the Bristol road accident statistics for 1997.