POLICE have appealed for witnesses to a motorway crash early on Friday morning (June 28) where a lorry hit a bridge and left the driver trapped in his cab.

The incident happened on the northbound carriageway between junctions 25 and 24 and caused the M5 to be closed in both directions for several hours.

Traffic on the A38 between Wellington and Taunton became choked as a result of the closure and caused long delays during the morning school run and get-to-work rush hour.

An air ambulance was called to the scene and landed on the carriageway while three Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue crews worked to free the trapped driver with the help of a heavy rescue unit and hydraulic cutting equipment.

The driver was eventually airlifted to hospital for treatment to injuries which were described as serious, but not believed to be life-threatening.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson said: “We were called shortly before 6.25 am this morning to reports that a lorry had collided with a bridge on the northbound carriageway.

“If you witnessed the collision or have any dashcam footage which could help our investigation, please call 101 and quote reference 5224167533.”

The motorway has since been reopened but congestion remained on side roads for some time after.

Meanwhile, Somerset Council has warned of major disruption to waste collections on Friday across Taunton and the surrounding areas following the M5 incident.

A spokesperson said: “The associated road closures and congestion are unfortunately having a significant impact on collections of rubbish, recycling, and garden waste today.

“Crews will do their best to complete as many rounds as possible, but thousands of collections will need to be rescheduled.

“Residents are asked to leave their rubbish and garden waste out if it is not collected by the end of today.

“Crews will return Saturday (June 29) for any collections missed today and any that cannot be cleared on Saturday will be returned for on Monday.

“Residents are asked to bring in their recycling, including food waste, if it is not collected by the end of today, and put it back out next Friday (July 5).

“We apologise for the disruption and delays and ask for everybody’s patience as we work to catch up on collections in the coming days.”

The council said attempts to catch up with missed recycling during the week would cause delays and disruption across the county.