UK NEWS

POLICE CAR 'FETCHING TAKEAWAY MEAL' KILLS MOTHER ON A STROLL

Sandy Simpson

Tuesday August 26,2008

By Michael Pickard and Cyril Dixon

A mother taking an evening stroll with her husband died when a police car ploughed into her.

Last night police watchdogs refused to comment on allegations that the driver of the car which killed Sandy Simpson was on an errand to buy takeaway food.

After the crash her husband Peter banged frantically on the police car, shouting: “You’ve killed my wife.”

Tragedy struck as Mrs Simpson, a mother of three, was enjoying the evening peace with her husband and one of her sons just minutes away from their semi-detached home.

A woman who was one of the first to arrive at the scene said: “It was absolutely awful. I heard a huge thud and went outside. I’ve never seen so much blood. It was pouring out of her mouth. I tried to help her but she died in my arms.

I was upstairs and I heard this almighty bang

Colin Wallace

“There were a large number of police cars. The father and son were distraught. The driver was inconsolable and was told to stay in his car.”

Another resident, Alan Headlam, 56, said: “It was terrible. There was lots of blood in the road and as soon as I came out I knew that the woman had died.

“Lots of people were outside but all I could hear was an older man shouting, ‘You have killed my wife’, and a younger man shouting, ‘You’ve killed my mum’.”

Colin Wallace, 20, a council worker said: “I was upstairs and I heard this almighty bang.

“I looked out of the window and there was a woman lying in the middle of the road. She had blood coming out of her mouth and wasn’t moving.”

Chiara Zuccon was leaving her home just yards from the scene on Saturday evening to celebrate her 27th birthday when she saw the aftermath.

She said: “The husband was really upset. He was on the ground crying. She was on the ground and there was a big pool of blood.

“The thing that really got me was that the police wouldn’t allow her two relatives to be near her. If it was me, I would have wanted my husband to be next to me.”

Mrs Simpson, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene in Homesdale Road, Bromley, on the London-Kent border, less than a mile away from her home in Mornington Avenue.

A note left with a bouquet of sunflowers from daughter Natasha, sons Elliot and Darren and grandchildren Sonny and Jacob read: “Dear mum, we were your sunflowers and through your love, strength and support you made us grow – we will love you forever.”

Another tribute from friends said: “In memory of a kind, caring, beautiful and much loved lady who will never be forgotten.”

Last night the Independent Police Complaints Commission said its investigators would examine “the actions and deployment of the officer”. A spokeswoman added: “Initial analysis of the police vehicle’s data recording system shows that the vehicle was travelling with its blue lights and sirens on.”

She would not comment on reports that the officer was a young, newly-qualified driver who had gone out to get a takeaway for colleagues.

The tragedy will raise fresh fears over the safety records of police drivers. Official figures show that in the 12 months to April this year, 23 people were killed in accidents involving a police vehicle.

But the number of fatalities has fallen over the last three years after a crusade by the Daily Express.

In the year 2005-6, a total of 48 people died in accidents involving police personnel or vehicles.

But after our crusade highlighted the problem, the figure fell to 36 in 2006-7 and 23 last year.