Investigation into the circumstances surrounding a man's death following police contact - Lincolnshire Police, March 2022

In March 2022 a car failed to stop for officers as it drove out of Skegness.  Officers followed the vehicle, at speed, before the vehicle veered off the road and collided with a tree.  The driver of the vehicle was declared dead at the scene.

Our investigation looked into the circumstances surrounding the contact with the car and whether officers and staff acted in accordance with local and national policies and guidance, and their training.

During our investigation, investigators have interviewed the officers involved, collected evidence including telematics data, airwave radio transmissions between the police driver and the control room, and obtained expert evidence from a forensic collision investigator.

At a disciplinary hearing in January 2023, one police officer was given a final written warning after gross misconduct was proven. Allegations against another constable who was accused of failing to challenge or report the other officer's actions, were not proven.

In November 2023, at an inquest held in Lincoln, the Coroner returned an outcome that the man died as a result of a head injury sustained in a road traffic collision. 

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. 

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