Evie Lake reported on a recent incident involving a man and a woman who were arrested after a police pursuit on the A1 resulted in a crash that injured seven officers. The individuals have since been released on bail. The crash, which involved five police vehicles and a BMW car, occurred near Denton Burn, Newcastle in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday, according to Northumbria Police.
The man, in his 20s, was taken into custody on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Meanwhile, the woman, also in her 20s, was initially arrested on suspicion of aiding dangerous driving but is now under investigation for drug-related allegations. Following the crash, the A1 had to be shut down in both directions, causing significant disruptions between Swalwell in Gateshead and Denton for nearly 13 hours.
Northumbria Police stated that the BMW was first spotted in the Whickham area of Gateshead at around 2:00 am due to concerns about its reckless driving. A pursuit was authorized when the vehicle was later seen in the Swalwell vicinity, leading to the collision a couple of miles north of the river. Witnesses described the aftermath of the crash as chaotic, with one Denton resident referring to it as “absolute carnage.”
In addition to the allegations of dangerous driving, the man is also being investigated for failing to comply with police instructions and driving without insurance. The woman, who was accompanying him, has been released on bail pending further investigation for suspected possession of Class A and B drugs. While both suspects emerged unscathed from the crash, the injured officers were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. The Independent Office for Police Conduct noted that they had not received any referrals regarding the incident, clarifying that collisions involving police vehicles do not automatically trigger an investigation
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