Road traffic accident following pursuit - Greater Manchester Police, June 2018

On 6 June 2018 a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer was patrolling in Manchester in a liveried police vehicle. His attention was drawn to a BMW driving towards him on the wrong side of the road before it swerved back onto the correct side at speeds in excess of the 40mph limit. The officer activated his emergency equipment and attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle refused to comply and the officer pursued the vehicle at speed at a distance.

The officer saw the vehicle approach a set of traffic lights and going through a red light, before speeding off out of sight.

As the officer approached a junction, he saw that the vehicle had collided with a van. The BMW was stationary at this time, with extensive damage and all airbags deployed.

A man was found trapped in the front passenger seat and a second passenger was seen to be running away. The officer gave chase on foot and detained the man.

The driver of the vehicle later presented himself at the Royal Bolton Hospital with a broken scapula, right knee and lower back.

Our investigators obtained the witness statements of the officer involved in the pursuit and independent witnesses to the collision. They also analysed CCTV and dash-cam footage, scene photographs and vehicle downloads, along with the relevant radio transmissions and police incident logs.

Evidence suggested that the driver of the BMW was driving both dangerously and erratically prior to the police pursuit. This was confirmed by the passengers. There was no evidence that the GMP officer was aggressive in his pursuit. The independent evidence suggests that police guidance on road pursuits was adhered to.

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 September 2018.