Collision following pursuit - Bedfordshire Police, November 2018

On 16 November 2018 Bedfordshire Police officers contacted the control room to report a stolen vehicle in the Luton area. Two police vehicles conducted a pre-emptive stop on the Renault while stationary at red traffic lights.

The pre-emptive stop failed and a pursuit took place, which ended when the Renault collided with a parked car. Officers arrested and detained the occupants until response officers arrived on scene shortly after. The occupants were taken to hospital. The driver of the Renault sustained two broken fingers, and a passenger, a cut to her eye.

Our investigators obtained statements from the officers involved in the pursuit. We contacted the occupants of the Renault to provide an account, but received no response. We also reviewed dash-cam footage from the pursuing police vehicle, along with airwave downloads from officers’ radios.

Evidence suggested that the driver of the Renault drove erratically, colliding with police and other vehicles, and hitting a traffic light post, and that an occupant of the Renault pulled the handbrake, which resulted in the collision with the parked car. Dash-cam footage showed that, at the time of the collision, the police vehicle was positioned approximately one to two car-lengths away and was not a part of the collision itself.

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

After reviewing our report, Bedfordshire Police agreed.