Met Police acted appropriately prior to A40 double fatal car crash

9 Feb 2021 10:53 PM

An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation, conducted following a fatal car crash involving Patrick and Shauna McDonagh on the A40 in London, found the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers acted appropriately when they pursued a Renault Megane which had failed to stop when requested.

An inquest jury at West London Coroner's Court on Tuesday 9 February returned a finding of death by misadventure for Patrick and death by road traffic collision for Shauna.

On Sunday 10 February 2019, at approximately 8.50pm, a police car tried to stop a car for a traffic offence at the junction of Elm Avenue and Field End Road, Ruislip. 

An authorised pursuit began, a marked police traffic car joined the pursuit and pursued it along the A40 Eastbound, with another marked police traffic car joining the pursuit at the Target Roundabout, Northolt.

Shortly before 9.03pm, the Renault Megane crossed on to the wrong carriageway of the A40, driving against the flow of traffic. The police pursuit was terminated within seconds, and no police vehicle followed it on to the wrong side. 

Shortly after, the car collided head-on with a coach travelling westbound on Western Avenue (A40). Officers arrived at the collision scene and provided first aid to the occupants. Patrick, the driver, and Shauna died at the scene. A male passenger was taken to hospital and discharged the following day.

During the investigation, which concluded in February 2020, we attended the post incident procedure. We took statements from more than 30 police officers, police staff and members of the public and secured and analysed video footage, CCTV, officers’ communication over the airwaves and body-worn video recordings of the incident. 

The officers involved were treated as witnesses throughout the investigation.

IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem yesterday said: 

“Our thoughts remain with all those affected by this tragic incident. We provided our investigation report to the MPS and HM Coroner when our investigation concluded in 2020 and we assisted the inquest by providing the evidence we gathered.

“It is important we establish all of the circumstances of fatal road traffic incidents involving the police when they happen.  

“The available evidence was analysed in great detail in drawing our conclusion that there was no evidence to indicate that the police caused or contributed to the tragic deaths of Patrick and Shauna.”