A six-vehicle crash on the M5 near Gloucester yesterday evening left a woman in hospital with serious and critical injuries.
Emergency services received multiple 999 calls around 7pm yesterday ,reporting crashes on the motorway between junctions 13, Stroud and Junction 12, Gloucester South.
The crash involved six vehicles on the north-bound carriageway and at least two on the south-bound carriageway.
Debris from the crash was spread across three lanes and the hard shoulder of the north bound section.
The vehicles involved in the north bound collision were a white Citroen Berlingo van, a Mercedes saloon car, a silver Peugeot estate car, two small Honda hatchbacks (one blue and one silver) and a small Toyota hatchback.
The 38 year old female driver of the Berlingo van, local to the Ross-on-Wye area, was taken to the regional trauma centre at Southmead hospital in Bristol.
Shortly after arrival at hospital she underwent surgery for the injuries which she sustained. Two of the Constabulary's trained Family Liaison Officers are at the hospital, present with the family of the injured lady.
M5 update - the injured party from the RTC on the M5 is in a critical yet stable condition at hosp' @Glos_Police press release to follow.
— Glos Road Police (@GlosRoadPol) December 25, 2014
The occupants of the other vehicles involved sustained a range of injuries, which after initial assessment at the scene were not deemed to be life threatening or serious.
Officers used heat seeking technology on both crashes to ensure no one was unaccounted for, and the road was eventually reopened shorting before 3am after police had cleared the area.
Police has now launched an appeal.
PC Billy Jenkins, from Gloucestershire Constabulary's Roads Policing Unit, one of the officers who attended the scene, said: "To attend an incident such as this at any time of the year is incredibly sad and traumatic, it will have undoubtedly have affected many people who travelled on the M5 and particularly those who were involved in it and who witnessed what happened.
"At Christmas it is especially difficult, a time when many people are returning to their homes to visit their family and friends.
"Our best wishes and thoughts are with those involved, their family and friends and of course to those who saw what happened.
"It was an incredibly difficult and complex scene that spread over large sections of the motorway which didn't make it any easier in moving and releasing the backlog of traffic as many of the people who stopped after it happened were within the scene. All of which we had to inspect, re-inspect and examine before we could let anyone move from the immediate area so as to ensure that we didn't lose anything that might prove essential and useful to the investigation.
"We cannot thank enough those people who were so patient and helpful during this period."
M5 update - all vehicles have been recovered, we're now leaving the scene with @HR_southwest. It will be OPEN very soon @Glos_Police.
— Glos Road Police (@GlosRoadPol) December 25, 2014
Two officers from the Tri-Force Specialist Operations Collision Investigation Unit based in Almonsdbury attended the scene, securing and preserving evidence and examining it and the vehicles involved.
A full investigation has commenced, however the investigation team would like to speak to anyone who has not yet provided their details to the police and whom may have witnessed what happened, however minor they feel it may be, to contact them by ringing the non-emergency number 101 and asking for Gloucestershire police, and then quoting log: 340 of the 24thDecember 2014.
They would also like to hear from anyone who may have a car mounted camera or dash-cam fitted in their vehicle which may assist the investigating team.
