By Juliette MaxamA POLICE patrol car was involved in a collision with another vehicle at a set of traffic lights as it responded to a 999 call.The accident happened at traffic lights on the A133 at Frating at about 3am yesterday as the marked police Ford Focus car, which had its lights and sirens on, was in collision with a red Volkswagen Passat.
By Juliette Maxam
A POLICE patrol car was involved in a collision with another vehicle at a set of traffic lights as it responded to a 999 call.
The accident happened at traffic lights on the A133 at Frating at about 3am yesterday as the marked police Ford Focus car, which had its lights and sirens on, was in collision with a red Volkswagen Passat.
Both drivers – a policeman and a 37-year-old man from Clacton – suffered minor injuries and neither required hospital treatment. The officer continued with his shift after the crash.
Stanway traffic police are investigating whether the police car was going through a red light at the time of the collision.
The accident happened as officers from Brightlingsea police station were responding to a call-out to investigate suspects on premises in Great Bromley.
A spokesman from Essex Police said accidents involving police cars were treated in the same way as other collisions.
He added accidents involving police cars were "quite common" and said: "They happen at least once a month in the county. All forces experience them. Sometimes we are to blame, sometimes members of the public are to blame."
The spokesman added all police officers were trained to drive police cars to incidents to varying degrees, their driving was monitored and they were sent on refresher courses, but officers involved in road crashes were not automatically suspended.
Roger Vincent, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said police forces needed to manage the safety of their employees so they were safe on the road and did not endanger other road users.
"Police have got to prioritise. What's more important – responding to a burglary or putting someone's life at risk on the roads?" he added.
Anyone with information about the accident should contact Stanway traffic police on 01206 762512.
juliette.maxam@eadt.co.uk
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