Injured woman on mend

Lengthy inquiry ahead

THE condition of a pedestrian who was struck by a police car in a horror crash that killed her partner has improved as questions remain over whether anyone will face criminal charges.

The police car and a silver Lancer collided at the intersection of St John and Paterson streets in Launceston shortly before 8.30pm on January 6. The male officer, who was on his way to a job in Youngtown, went through a red light with emergency lights flashing but no sirens.

On impact, the police car “flipped and spun around several times”, hitting a couple as they crossed the road. It then slid 20-30m on its roof down Paterson St.

The pedestrians, aged in their 40s, were visiting Tasmania from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.

The man died at the scene and the woman was flown to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne fighting for her life.

The hospital yesterday confirmed she was in a stable condition, with her vital signs within normal limits.

The police officer and a female passenger of the Lancer suffered only minor injuries.

Professional Standards Acting Commander Peter Harriss told the Mercury the investigation into the circumstances

The welfare needs of the officer and other people involved in this tragic incident is paramount

CMDR PETER HARRISS

surrounding the crash could take some months “due to the multiple avenues of inquiry being undertaken”.

Acting Commander Harriss did not answer whether the officer would likely face criminal charges.

“The welfare needs of the officer and other people involved in this tragic incident is paramount at this stage of the investigation,” he said.

“The officer is currently on leave. He has not been suspended from duty or placed in a non-operational role.”

Acting Commander Harriss said it was not unusual for a police officer to attend a job alone, with the number of resources allocated to an incident based on “identified risk factors”.

He said the use of lights and sirens was also a decision made on a case-by-case basis, with the law allowing for the “option of either, or both”.