Police officer sentenced for injuring pedestrian in high-speed crash

A Greater Manchester Police officer who struck and seriously injured a pedestrian following a pursuit of a suspected drink-driver in Rochdale town centre, received a suspended prison sentence for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

PC Sam Lockley, 35, pleaded guilty in January this year following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation which occurred in Rochdale in November, 2023.

At a hearing in February, PC Lockley received a two-year suspended sentence and was ordered to carry out 15 days community service. He was also served a two-year driving disqualification, at the end of which he must sit an extended driving test.

Reporting restrictions put in place at the time prevented the IOPC from publishing any details of the sentence or its investigation findings due to a parallel criminal trial for the driver of the car that was pursued after he was also charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The driver pleaded guilty yesterday and is due to be sentenced next month.

The IOPC investigation established that in the early hours of November 19, 2023, PC Lockley was driving a marked police vehicle with the lights and sirens activated and attempted to stop a suspected drink-driver in Drake Street.

A short pursuit commenced lasting approximately a minute when the police vehicle collided with a pedestrian on the footpath of Rochdale Road at approximately 3.30am.

When PC Lockley began the pursuit, he reported over the airwaves that his speed was 73mph in a 30mph zone. The evidence gathered indicated that PC Lockley failed to slow down as he approached and drove through the red traffic lights at the Kingsway junction and was travelling at a speed of 96mph.

The collision occurred when the police vehicle PC Lockley was driving failed to negotiate a right-hand bend, which caused the car to leave the road to its nearside and travel on to the footpath. The pedestrian suffered serious injuries as a result of the collision and received extensive medical treatment following the collision.

The IOPC commissioned a driving expert report and obtained a forensic collision report to assist with its investigation and any conclusion we made about PC Lockley’s manner of driving.

According to the forensic collision report, the police vehicle was travelling at approximately 80mph and heavily braking as it entered the bend and in the region of 60mph when it collided with the pedestrian.

An expert report noted that PC Lockley had not addressed hazards prior to the collision which included; warnings of a hump bridge, warning of a junction, a ‘Reduce Speed Now’ sign, an incline in the road, a lack of visibility beyond the bridge and a building line that indicated there was a likely right-hand bend.

The report concluded that PC Lockley did not drive in accordance with his training and was driving at too high a speed.

IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said: “My sympathies remain with the man who sustained serious injuries, and all those affected by the incident.

“This was a complex investigation which relied on extensive amounts of data and expert analysis and the evidence showed PC Lockley drove at excessive speeds at night-time and although he was responding to a report of a suspected drink driver, it does not excuse his manner of driving.

“PC Lockley admitted he drove in a dangerous manner when he didn’t address hazards or warnings during the pursuit and ultimately by the time he saw the pedestrian, he was travelling too fast to avoid a collision.

“His actions that day have had long-lasting consequences and he has now been held accountable.”

Following the IOPC investigation, it decided that the officer should face a gross misconduct hearing to face allegations that his manner of driving breached the police standards of professional behaviour.

The disciplinary process is ongoing.

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