TRAFFIC UPDATE: M5 re-opened, A38 at Chelston Roundabout re-opened, still delays

The incident was one of five accidents in the Taunton area this morning, which caused severe delays.

Two lorries were involved in the M5 crash, which led to the M5 being closed southbound.

It happened at around 3am between junctions 25, for Taunton, and junction 26, for Wellington.

There is a diversion in place, meaning traffic is taking the A358 southbound toward the A303, then west on the A303 to rejoin the M5 at junction 29, causing delays in and around Taunton.

Two lanes of the M5 have now reopened.

A second accident, on A38, caused even more delays after two cars were involved in an accident at the Chelston Roundabout.

A38 West Buckland Road was closed both ways, with queuing traffic due to the accident, in which two vehicles were involved at B3187 Taunton Road / Summerfield Way.

There was also congestion to A3065 Silk Mills Road / Cornishway West (Taunton), affecting traffic travelling between Taunton and Wellington.

The A38 has since reopened and police have said "traffic is flowing".

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: "In these incidents, there are injuries, but none of them are life threatening."

• A38 was closed due to accident at Chelston Roundabout, now reopened and traffic is flowing
• M5 was closed southbound between J25 and J26 due to crash involving two lorries, now reopened.
• Regent Street, Bradford-on-Tone was blocked with slow traffic due to accident near Back Street. Traffic not helped by the nearby closure of the A38. Now clear.
• Queueing traffic on A358 with vehicles leaving the M5
• A3038 Station Road partially blocked, slow traffic due to accident near Priory Bridge Road. Near the Crown and Sceptre pub. Now clear
• Reports of a fifth accident on A361 near Frog Lane, near the church. Now clear

For a detailed traffic map showing locations of incidents and other delays in a around Taunton, CLICK HERE.

PICTURE: M5 Southbound

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service were called to the incident on the M5 at 3.10am this morning. 

Two fire engines and a rescue tender from Taunton, together with the heavy rescue vehicle and support vehicle from Middlemoor, were mobilised following a call from the Highways Agency requesting their attendance to a two vehicle RTC.

The crash involved two lorries and a person was reported to be trapped.

On arrival crews confirmed this RTC involving two HGV lorries, where one had gone into the back of another, trapping the male driver in the rear vehicle.

After liaising with paramedics and Police, already on scene from a previous incident, crews set to work preparing an access route for paramedics in order to extricate the casualty.

Crews freed the male casualty into the hands of paramedics, using three sets of hydraulic cutting equipment and two LGV platforms, before making the vehicles and scene safe with one hose reel jet and small tools.

The casualty was then transferred to hospital via ambulance and duty of care was left with Police and Highways.

Fire crews were then called to the A38 Chelston Roundabout at 4.33am. 

Two fire engines from Wellington, together with the heavy rescue vehicle from Middlemoor, were mobilised following a call from Ambulance requesting our attendance to a two vehicle RTC, head on collision, where it was reported that two people were trapped in one vehicle and one person was trapped in the other. 

On arrival crews confirmed this to be the case but that all three casualties were medically, not physically trapped, and set to work making initial access for the paramedics, before stabilising the vehicles in preparation for extrication.

Just after 5pm, one casualty was released from the first vehicle and assisted paramedics with the second vehicle and casualties.

At 5.30am, the second and third casualties were freed from the second vehicle, after removing the doors with hydraulic cutting equipment.