Police vehicles passed seriously injured woman hit by fleeing driver in Auckland, IPCA says
Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Three police vehicles passed a pedestrian as she lay seriously injured by the side of the road, an investigation has found.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority launched a probe after the woman was struck by a car fleeing police on Auckland's Victoria St West in November 2018.
In its findings, the police watchdog said officers responded in a 'timely and appropriate manner'.
The IPCA said for 'understandable reasons' none of the officers saw the woman and continued to follow the fleeing driver.
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A fourth police vehicle found the victim, who had multiple fractures to her head, a broken elbow and severe bruising.
Police were chasing a man in a Mercedes at 10.40pm on November 10, 2018, after receiving reports of gang members causing violence and disorder at an apartment complex.
In a statement, the police acknowledged the IPCA's findings.
Superintendent Karyn Malthus, Auckland City District Commander, said fleeing driver incidents were 'fast-changing'.
She said officers in one of the pursuing vehicles stopped and turned around as soon as they were aware a person had been hit.
'Our staff spoke with the injured woman and ensured an ambulance was on the way, which was deemed appropriate,' Malthus said.
Gang members at the apartment complex had left after they heard the sirens of approaching police cars, the IPCA said.
One of the suspects sped off in a Mercedes and travelled the wrong way along Nelson St before turning into Victoria St West.
The victim had crossed into the middle of the road and was running across after another vehicle had flashed its lights when she was struck at speed.
The IPCA detailed how the woman was flung into the air before she landed on the edge of the road.
The fleeing driver did not stop and continued evading police, with the first police vehicle in pursuit passing the victim seconds after she was hit.
Two other police vehicles passed the scene seconds after the first.
The IPCA said it was possible two parked cars had obscured officers' view and noted all of their vehicles had flashing lights on and were focused on following the Mercedes.
It noted although the officer in the first vehicle had performed a u-turn, he still did not see the woman.
He told the authority: 'I just feel really bad that I didn't see someone lying on the ground.'
However, it was a fourth vehicle, which also turned around, which found the woman after seeing members of the public gathered around.
The officer thought he had seen something, the IPCA noted.
Malthus said the woman was hospitalised with serious injuries and later recovered.
She said a 41-year-old man was subsequently charged with careless driving causing injury.