'It's closed for a reason': Car battered by wind as driver ignores shut bridge signs

A driver, who police say 'ignored' bridge closure signs for the M48 Severn Bridge had their car battered by heavy winds.

Avon and Somerset Police responded to the incident on the evening of Thursday 28 March.

On X, formerly Twitter, the force's road's policing unit said the driver was caught out by a heavy gust.

It added: "National Highways closed the M48 bridge due to high winds, however this driver decided to ignore the signs.

"This action not only put their life in danger but also those of the responding emergency services.

"It’s closed for a reason!"

The bridge was shut for several hours, but reopened at around 2am on Friday 29 March.

Wind speeds in the Severn Estuary spiked at 48mph overnight.

Following the incident, National Highways said: "The wind speeds have dropped, the car which breached the closure and collided with the central reservation has been safely removed, the bridge has been cleared of debris."

Drivers are being warned to remain mindful of weather conditions when travelling this Easter weekend.