Independent Police Complaints Commission
 Printable version
|
Investigation finds that Leicestershire Police pursuit was appropriately carried out
An investigation by the IPCC into a serious road traffic collision in Wigston, Leicestershire, has found that a police pursuit which preceded it was justified and in accordance with force policies.
Two men were seriously injured when the BMW they were passengers in collided with roadside railings at a junction in Wigston in the early hours of January 12, 2016.
The driver of the car, Lewis Folwell, was sentenced to 33 months in prison at Leicester Crown Court yesterday (Thursday) for dangerous driving, driving without insurance and failing to stop. He was also banned from driving for five years.
A single-crewed patrol car began the pursuit at Newton Lane, in countryside around Wigston, around five minutes before the collision, after the driver of the BMW failed to stop.
The police constable driving a marked Vauxhall Astra was pursuit trained and the pursuit was suitably authorised. Body worn camera footage records the officer updating the control room and assessing the level of risk consistently throughout.
Officers administered first aid to the two injured men following the BMW colliding with railings. Other tactics to safely resolve the pursuit were being considered prior to the collision with other officers on their way to assist.
IPCC Operations Manager Stephen Bimson said: “Our investigation carefully examined the circumstances of the pursuit and concluded it was reasonable and appropriately carried out by a trained officer. All police officers were treated as witnesses during the course of the IPCC investigation.”
The investigation report has been published here.
