Police drink-drive crackdown’s early start after deaths
THE annual Christmas crackdown on drink and drug-driving has been launched early by police following a weekend of tragedy on the roads.
Three people were killed in separate road traffic incidents – a girl aged eight in Monton, Salford, a 17-year-old boy in Oldham and a 21-year-old woman in Middleton.
Four more were seriously injured – including two schoolgirls in separate crashes in Heywood.
Police made a series of arrests and a number of suspects have now been released pending further investigations.
Greater Manchester Police said its annual ‘None for the Road’ campaign was being brought forward as a result.
Meanwhile, new statistics released by the force reveal an alarming rise in serious collisions in Greater Manchester.
Chief Inspector Gareth Parkin said 728 people were killed or left seriously injured between July 2016 and June last year. Between July last year and June this year, the figure was 824 – a rise of 96, or 13 per cent. The senior officer said targeted police patrols would be stepped up as part of the campaign.
A startling 149 people were arrested in the first two weeks of the annual festive crackdown last December – more than seven a day. GMP said the first half of the operation saw 463 breath tests carried out.
Chief Inspector Parkin said: “Christmas seems to be getting earlier and earlier and the Christmas markets have now opened in Manchester.
“Please do not drink and drive. It’s that simple. This was not an average weekend. It was hugely demanding. We know what a significant impact drinkdriving has on impairing a person’s ability to drive. If you think you are over the limit, you are over the limit.”
Paramedics meanwhile described an ‘unbelievably tragic’ weekend.
Talented boxer Trent Warburton, 17, died after being knocked down by a car on Oldham Road, near junction 22 of the M60 in Oldham, in the early hours of Saturday.
In Monton, Salford, eightyear-old Emily Connor, from Chesterfield, died after being hit by a car on Monton Road at 10.40am on Saturday. A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He’s now been released but remains under investigation.
Officers were called shortly before 5.40pm on Friday to a collision between a grey Toyota Prius and an 11-year-old girl near Heywood Sports Centre on West Starkey Street, Heywood.
Then, at 8.15pm, police were called to Bridge Street, Heywood, following a collision between a silver Toyota Corolla and a 12-year-old girl.
A 21-year-old woman, who hasn’t been named, died and a man she was walking with was seriously hurt when they were hit by a black Peugeot 3008 on Rochdale Road in Middleton at 11.55pm on Friday.
Police said a 31-year-old man arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and drink-driving remained in custody yesterday.
Family’s tributes to their ‘golden boy’: Page 13