Teenager on a stolen bike is killed in crash
RIDER DIES AFTER TRYING TO PASS A POLICE CAR
A TEENAGER died when he crashed a stolen quad bike into a lamppost while speeding to get past a marked police vehicle coming in the opposite direction, a coroner has found.
Dillon Turner, 19, suffered catastrophic injuries in the collision in the village of Ingleton, County Durham, on June 14 2016, and died in hospital later that day.
Coroner Oliver Longstaff, sitting at Crook Civic Centre, rejected a submission Article Two of the European Convention on Human Rights, namely Mr Turner’s right to life, had been breached by the police operation to recover the quad bike.
The four-day inquest had heard police officers found a stolen quad bike stashed in woodland near the North Yorkshire-county Durham border.
They mounted a stake-out operation to catch whoever came to take it.
The plan failed and Mr Turner was able to get away, although others who turned up in a van were followed and arrested.
Mr Turner, from Coundon, Bishop Auckland, drove through Teesdale and police tried to use a stinger to stop him – but he avoided it by mounting a grass verge and carried on at speed.
There were significant difficulties with communications between police officers during the cross-border operation to find the quad, the inquest heard.
Mr Turner was not being actively pursued when he entered Ingleton but a Durham Police BMW X5 was being driven to the scene from the opposite direction, the inquest heard.
The police driver was unaware, due to a communication failure, Mr Turner might be arriving in Ingleton at the time, Mr Longstaff said.
The police driver had pulled out into the opposite carriageway to see if it was clear to pass a Citroen in front.
He returned to the correct side of the road when she saw the quad bike coming, the inquest heard.
Mr Turner tried to pass the Citroen and the police BMW on the nearside – but lost control when he hit the kerb and smashed into the lamppost.
He was travelling at 52mph in a 30mph zone when the incident happened.
After Mr Longstaff read his narrative conclusion, he expressed his condolences to Mr Turner’s family.
They declined to comment after the hearing.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it carried out a thorough investigation and the North Yorkshire force would improve communications, and Durham, its training for cross-border operations.