Police emergency driving in spotlight after death of PCSO
The police watchdog has said it will examine whether changes are needed on emergency driving after four people died in crashes involving police cars, including a PCSO in the Black Country.
Holly Burke died after she was hit by a car being chased by officers in Bearwood. It was one of four deaths in the space of five days involving police vehicles in the UK.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it would be carrying out separate investigations into the incidents and would look at policies and procedures around police pursuits.
Holly, 28, was off duty when she was struck at the junction of Hagley Road and Bearwood Road on Tuesday. Darren Ogom, 42 of Longsdale Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
However, IOPC deputy director-general Ian Todd said deaths and serious injuries following pursuits were "thankfully rare".
He said: "The death of even one person on the roads, let alone four in such a short space of time, will be of concern.
"While there has been a spate of road traffic fatalities over the past week, deaths and serious injuries following pursuits and emergency responses are thankfully rare in comparison to the large number of such incidents police are involved in on a daily basis."
The investigations will look at the driving of the patrol cars among other factors.
Mr Todd added: "We will also look to see if there are changes and improvements which can be made to those procedures to reduce the risks of deaths and serious injuries in the future."
