Statement on A396 incident, Thursday 17 July 2025
Good evening, I'm Wayne Darch, Deputy Director of Operations at the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
Can I begin by saying that on behalf of the Service our thoughts are with all of those involved in today's tragic incident.
We were called at 14:58 this afternoon, Thursday 17 July, to a significant road traffic incident on the A396 near Minehead. We declared a major incident, that has since been stood down.
We sent 46 resources to scene, including 20 double-crewed land ambulances, three air ambulances, a command team, and two hazardous area response teams.
We treated several patients at scene and conveyed 21 patients to hospital, via land and air ambulance.
Very sadly, as confirmed by Avon and Somerset Police, one child died at the scene, and our thoughts are with their family and friends at this incredibly sad time.
I would like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to all colleagues and partners who have responded to this incident.
We ask that the public continues to access health services as normal. If you have an urgent healthcare need, please contact NHS111. For life-threatening emergencies, always call 999.
Thank you.