West Mercia Police Fined £85,800 After Officer Hit by Car Suffers Life-Changing Injuries
A police force in the Midlands has been hit with a substantial fine after a young officer was left fighting for his life and sustained life-changing injuries when struck by a car on a dark road. The incident occurred while the officer was managing traffic following a separate collision.
Details of the Incident
A 22-year-old student officer working for West Mercia Police responded to a crash in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023. The road traffic collision had taken place on a single-carriageway road with a 60mph speed limit and no street lighting. While standing on a bend to manage traffic at the scene, the rookie officer was hit by a passing car, resulting in life-threatening and life-changing injuries.
Health and Safety Executive Investigation
The Health and Safety Executive launched an investigation into West Mercia Police, finding that the force had failed to do all that was reasonably practicable to manage the risks arising from or in connection with traffic collisions. The HSE determined that the force's risk assessments were not suitable and sufficient, and it failed to provide adequate equipment for safely responding to traffic collisions.
Additionally, the health and safety regulator identified a lack of suitable information, instruction, and training for its officers. As a result of these failings, employees and members of the public were exposed to unnecessary risks.
Background and Recommendations
The HSE noted that two-and-a-half years before the horrific collision, all police forces across the UK had been sent a series of recommendation reports by the National Police Chiefs' Council in June 2021. These reports provided advice on implementing road safety recommendations following an officer and staff safety review report.
Court Proceedings and Fine
West Mercia Police was fined £85,800 and ordered to pay £9,402 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, February 20. This came after the Office of Chief Constable West Mercia Police, headquartered at Hindlip Hall in Worcester, pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Statement from HSE Inspector
HSE Inspector Keeley Eves stated: "We recognise that police officers inevitably face significant and serious dangers as part of their normal work. The nature of policing is such that even where all reasonably practicable steps have been taken to minimise the risks, there may still be a significant risk to those engaged in such work. However, police officers should not be exposed to unnecessary risks while keeping the public safe."
Eves continued: "In this case, West Mercia Police failed to implement all reasonably practicable measures to minimise risks to its employees and members of the public in connection with road traffic collisions. Tragically, this resulted in a student police officer sustaining life-changing injuries."
Post-Incident Changes
After the incident, the force implemented significant changes, including revisions to risk assessments, policies, procedures, equipment, and training. The HSE emphasized that these measures should have been in place prior to the incident. This prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas.
