Pedestrian injured in collision following pursuit - Metropolitan Police Service, August 2019

At approximately 1pm on 9 August 2019, Metropolitan Police officers in a marked dog van became aware of an Audi vehicle with tinted windows parked across a footpath. A Police National Computer (PNC) check was carried out, which identified that the vehicle identification number needed to be verified. The officers indicated for the Audi to pull over. The Audi accelerated away at speed and the officers activated their vehicle’s warning equipment and began the initial phase of a pursuit. The pursuit lasted approximately two minutes before the Audi collided with a member of the public who was crossing the road. The Audi continued driving but the officers stopped their vehicle, ending the pursuit when they saw the member of public injured on the pavement. London Ambulance Service were called and attended to treat the injured man. The man sustained serious injuries as a result of the collision with the Audi.

Our investigators obtained statements from the officers involved in the pursuit, spoke with the injured man and obtained his medical records, reviewed local and national pursuit policies, viewed CCTV footage and listened to airwave recordings from the incident.

The evidence suggested that officers carried out risk assessments during the pursuit. The conditions were suitable for an appropriately trained driver to conduct the initial phase of the pursuit. As an advanced trained driver, the police driver was authorised to undertake this. The evidence suggested that, as soon as the Audi accelerated, the police driver activated the vehicle’s warning equipment to indicate for the Audi to stop but also to ensure other road users were aware of the officers’ presence. Evidence showed that the officers lost sight of the Audi prior to the collision, indicating they were not close to it and maintained a safe distance behind the vehicle.

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 December 2019.