Three hurt as police ignored chase order

Officers caused car crash after being told to stay put

A POLICE car chase caused a crash that left three innocent people injured after officers ignored orders not to pursue a suspect.

The driver of the police car sped after a stolen vehicle, despite being told twice by control room staff to monitor the situation from a distance.

The collision in Holytown, Lanarkshire, resulted in hospital treatment for the three people for injuries including whiplash, a head cut, burns and bruising.

An eight-month-old baby escaped uninjured, an official report said.

The driver of the police car was told to keep an eye on the stolen vehicle but ‘appeared to interpret this as meaning he could follow the car until traffic officers were directed to the incident,’ the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) said.

During the pursuit on July 25 last year, the stolen vehicle collided with a parked car before hitting another vehicle being driven in Dornoch Road, Holytown.

Three people in the car that was struck required treatment – but the baby was unhurt.

The man driving the stolen car was arrested near the crash scene and was convicted for a number of driving offences earlier this year.

A Pirc spokesman said: ‘The actions of the police driver in pursuing the stolen car influenced the behaviour of the driver and contributed to the collision and subsequent injuries to those travelling in one of the vehicles.

‘A series of recommendations have been provided to Police Scotland in relation to vehicle pursuits to mitigate against a similar incident happening again.’

On the day of the incident, police received a report that two cars had been stolen overnight from the driveway of a house in Carfin, Lanarkshire.

Officers were sent out to search for the vehicles.

Pirc said the area control room sergeant decided early on that he would not authorise any spontaneous pursuit of either car and this instruction was passed by radio to the officers on patrol.

About 11am, two officers spotted one of the stolen cars and reported the sighting to the control room. Staff again told the officers that ‘no pursuit was authorised’.

The instruction was acknowledged by the officers – but the driver then pursued the stolen car for around half a mile before it crashed.

The Pirc investigation found statements from the police officers that they did not engage in a pursuit were contradicted by independent witnesses.

The watchdog has recommended that the driver receives further training in Police Scotland’s vehicle pursuit policy and guidance and that the force considers introducing standardised terminology for use by control room staff when instructing officers not to undertake pursuits.

Earlier this month, a review into how complaints against Police Scotland are handled was launched by then Justice Secretary Michael Matheson.

Former Lord Advocate Dame Elish Angiolini, QC, is to lead a probe into concerns raised over the handling of allegations of misconduct – particularly as to whether Police Scotland should be allowed to investigate itself.

‘No pursuit was authorised’