Passenger sustains injuries in a crash following pursuit - Essex Police, November 2018

On 27 November 2018 Essex Police officers witnessed a driver in Southend behaving suspiciously. The driver subsequently failed to stop for the police. Following this, a police pursuit involving four police vehicles took place, lasting around ten minutes. The police pursuit was discontinued due to a lack of tactical options by which the police could bring the pursuit to a safe and prompt conclusion.

Around a minute after the police pursuit was discontinued, the car was found to have crashed into a bus stop. The front seat passenger of the car sustained a broken pelvis in two places. Police officers provided first aid to the passenger until the arrival of ambulance and fire services. The driver of the car fled the scene, but was detained by police shortly afterwards and arrested.

The driver later pleaded guilty to a number of offences, including causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop at a road traffic collision and driving while over the prescribed limit of drugs (cannabis).

Our investigators attended the scene of the accident and post-incident procedures, during which the police produced statements relating to the incident. Investigators reviewed and analysed these, along with witness statements from members of the public, CCTV footage and recordings from the police radio communications relating to the pursuit, as well as a record of interview with the injured passenger.

Evidence indicated that the pursuit had been terminated around a minute before the collision itself, and that the police provided advanced first aid to the passenger. There was no evidence that suggested that the police had any other contact with the passenger, or had caused or contributed to the passenger’s injury.

Based on the evidence available we found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings, or had committed a criminal offence. We completed our investigation in May 2019.