Fatal injury following police pursuit – Humberside Police, July 2022

In July 2022, Humberside Police officers spotted a car belonging to a man wanted for murder. The man drove away from the officers, evaded an attempted tactical contact tactic, and a pursuit began. Moments after the pursuit began, the car drove into the oncoming traffic lane and collided with a van. Humberside Police officers and ambulance service staff provided first aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The man in the van sustained life changing injuries.

We attended the incident and obtained witness statements from the police officers and staff involved in the pursuit. We also secured and reviewed the in-car camera footage, body worn video footage, and radio transmissions relating to the pursuit. We obtained accounts from the van driver and an independent witness who witnessed the lead up to the collision between the vehicles. 

The investigation concluded there was no indication that any of the police officers or police staff may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings or committed a criminal offence. All were treated as witnesses.

We completed our investigation in October 2022. 

HM Coroner recorded a verdict of death due to multiple injuries due to a road traffic accident with the cause of death as accident following the conclusion of the inquest on 5th March 2024.

We carefully considered whether there were any organizational 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. 

In this case, the investigation has not identified any formal learning.