Officer actions following a road traffic incident - Essex Police, November 2018

On 15 October 2018, a man was involved in a road traffic collision with another vehicle on the M25 near the town of Brentwood, Essex. As a result of the collision, two vehicles were left stationary on the M25. A short time later, the man was killed after being hit by a heavy goods vehicle. Essex Police investigated the circumstances of the man’s death. In the course of its investigation, Essex Police noted that a number of police vehicles had passed the site of the initial collision – en route to an unrelated incident – on the M25 without stopping. The force referred this to us as a conduct matter in November 2018

Our investigators took statement from two officers under misconduct caution in relation to allegations that they failed to follow the Essex Police policy ‘Patrolling and incidents on fast roads’ when they did not radio the force control room to update as to the dangerous position of the man’s car, and failed to stop and take advice from the Roads Policing Sergeant as to how to proceed. They also analysed policies and procedures to determine the correct course of action officers potentially could have taken on the night in question.

Force policy dictates that both officers (in separate cars) should have contacted the control room and sought advice from a road’s policing sergeant about approaching and managing the scene. Evidence found that the road was dark, it was foggy but the traffic was light.

One of the officers said he was aware that the control room knew of the incident, which was confirmed by the evidence. He also said that he had not seen anyone in the carriageway or any debris.

The other officer also said he was aware that a road’s policing vehicle was assigned to the incident, and that he had passed the scene very quickly, without seeing anyone in the carriageway. He said that he would have called the control room immediately had he seen someone.

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 were of the view that the force’s ‘Patrolling and incidents on fast roads’ policy would benefit from being reviewed to provide some clarity in similar circumstances, as it did not appear clear what the officers were expected to do.

After reviewing our report Essex Police committed to review its current policy covering vehicles abandoned on major roads.

We completed our investigation in April 2019, but waited until the inquest into the man’s death had completed in summer 2019 before publishing its outcomes.