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Woman dies in crash with unmarked police car
Peter Dominiczak06.05.09
A motorist died and a Met officer was seriously injured in a crash involving an unmarked police car responding to an emergency call.
The high-speed collision happened on the A21 in Tonbridge after two Met officers received a 999 call.
The on-duty officers are said to have turned on their sirens and blue lights, but their unmarked car collided with another vehicle in the fast lane being driven by a local woman.
Emergency service workers freed the motorists, and paramedics tried to revive the injured woman but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
One of the policemen had to be airlifted to hospital, although his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
The officer driving the car was not seriously injured.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission will decide today whether to launch a full inquiry.
The busy stretch of road was closed for more than five hours after the accident at 12.30pm yesterday as investigators looked for clues.
Police have informed the woman's family but have not yet named her.
Kent Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit appealed for any witnesses to contact them on 01622 798 538.
Reader views (15)
What idiots another family destroyed forever
- Steve, tonbridge
when i heard about this poor young women i was discusted with the police.The public need to complain more about there stupid driving, before this happens to any other family
- Steve, tonbridge
The police are awful! so many accidents happen this way, i just cant see it could be anyone elses fault, but the police officer, before you know it they are just there! He was just seconds away from the round about, so why over take, on such a busy road. There is no way on this earth the unfortunate woman, could have picked up any speed atall, from just coming from the round about. The police should be ashamed of themselves.
- Kellie, tonbridge kent
Len Moss, you have quite a poor trail of thought, that was a friend of mine who was killed in the car accident. Three children now have to grow up without the love of their mother. Maybe you should keep your comments to yourself!!!
- Becs, east sussex
I was a cop in Canada and have lived all over the Western USA in all the largest cities and I have never heard so many sirens as there are used in the UK
- E.Reed, Bournemouth,UK
obviously the cops were late for their tea break
- Len Moss, burgess hill
Amazing how everyone has immediately blamed the driver of the police vehicle!
It must have been his fault because he has flashing lights and a siren! Wrong...how about we wait until the investigation by another force and the IPCC comes to a conclusion!
- Jh, london
Once again teh ploce kill someone, no doubt they'll get away with murder yet again.
- Nardia, Twickenham
Why do police cars retuning to there station have there lights flashing ect.
- Tom, LONDON
Outrageous. The young woman killed in this case was 29 yrs old and has a husband and 3 young children. She lived in Hadlow and although I didn't personally know her - I knew of her. My sympathys are with her family and those 3 young boys left without a mum.
- Anonymous, Hadlow, Kent UK
Police cars should stick to the laws of the road. If they have flashing lights ect im shore other motorist will move over and let them through. Driving like nutters dosenot get them to the parked cars any quicker!
- Tom, LONDON
when will these fools realise if they cant get to an emergency safely then dont go at all, one life is not worth another in any circumstances look what happened to the poor girl up in newcastle the cop got jailed one idiot chasing another disgraceful.
- Jim Feeney, glasgow
I'd go further than Paul - I think they're extremely difficult for drivers to see, as well. When I'm driving and hear a siren, I start looking around to see where the emergency vehicle is and try to plan ahead for letting it past if it's behind me, but I try also to continue looking where I'm going! It's hard enough spotting an ambulance or fire engine coming up behind you if you're in traffic of more than one lane or if there's a larger vehicle behind you (and mine is a diddy car!), so spotting an unmarked car while continuing to drive safely is incredibly difficult, in my experience. I think they should get rid of them.
- Suzanne, London
Just what were the Met Police doing being "on-duty" and "receiving a 999 call" so far out of their area of jurisdiction? Tonbridge is a long way into the Kent Police area which starts at Badgers Mount on the A21. Here we go again.
- Bill Martin, Sevenoaks Kent
Unmarked police cars are a serious hazard for pedestrians. They have 'discreet' blue warning lights taht are almost unviewable except for motorists, and you are not expecting a normal unmarked car to be speeding many times the limit along the road.
- Paul B, London
