Police contact before car collides causing serious injuries – West Midlands Police, October 2024

West Midlands Police traffic officers had been briefed one morning that there was a stolen car operating in the area. While out, they saw the car travelling at speed and decided to follow it, reporting a failure to stop to the control room.

The officers requested permission to pursue, and this was given. They began to pursue the car, activating their blue lights and sirens. 

The officers came across the vehicle which had collided with another car. The driver of that car sustained multiple injuries. The driver of the suspect car was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving under the influence of drugs. They sustained a fracture to their ankle. 

We received a death or serious injury referral from the force and decided to independently investigate the actions and decisions of the officers before the collision occurred. 

We examined the circumstances that led to the pursuit, the officer’s decision to request the car to stop, the decision to pursue and the risk assessments during the pursuit, and whether the decisions and actions of the officers was in line with local and national policies, procedures and training.

We reviewed body worn video, in-car footage, airwaves transmissions, CCTV, ring doorbell footage from a nearby property, and telematics data. 

We concluded there was no indication that a person serving with the police committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner justifying the bringing of disciplinary proceedings. 

We carefully considered whether there were any learning opportunities arising from the investigation. We make learning recommendations to improve policing and public confidence in the police complaints system and prevent a recurrence of similar incidents. 

We did not identify any organisational learning in this case.