A1 police automobile crash main replace as seven cops hospitalised after horror smash
A large stretch of the A1 was closed near Denton, Newcastle, for more than 12 hours following the crash which left seven police officers in hospital and sparked major congestion
The driver of a BMW involved in a high speed chase that ended in a horror crash and saw seven cops taken to hospital has been bailed, a police force has said.
Five police cars were wrecked in the smash on the A1 near Newcastle in the early hours of Wednesday morning. It happened after police tried to stop a BMW M Sport in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. Police said the car raced of and two minutes was later involved in a smash with police vehicles on the A1. It is not known why so many cop cars crashed.
Shocking pictures from the scene show the BMW was surrounded by four battered marked police cars and an unmarked cruiser in the road. One had its roof and doors ripped off.
An unmarked police car, a Volvo XC60, was crushed against the central reservation barrier, its blue lights still flashing as attempts were made to move it from the scene.
Northumbria Police said seven officers were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Four cops were discharged from hospital later on Wednesday and two remained in for observation while another was being treated for a leg injury.
A black BMW involved in the collision was carrying two occupants who were uninjured, the force said at the time.
A man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. A woman, also in her 20s, was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting dangerous driving.
In an update on Thursday morning, Northumbria Police confirmed the man has been released on police bail. The woman has been released and will face no further action.
A large stretch of the road was closed near Denton, Newcastle, for more than 12 hours following the smash, which happened at around 2.30am on Wednesday.
The force previously said officers had tried to stop a car in the Whickham area of Gateshead at around 2am due to concerns over the way it was being driven.
A pursuit was authorised when it was sighted a few minutes later, at around 2.25am – but just two minutes later, the vehicle and five police cars were involved in the collision, the force said.
Residents of the South West Denton estate next to where the crash took place were woken by sirens and flashing lights at 2am.
Peter Whittington, 50, said: “My daughter was the first to be woken up by the sound of the helicopter close by and when we looked down we could see the blue lights flashing all over the motorway.”
He added: “Whatever happened, it went badly wrong. One of the cars was on its side and crushed up against the barrier and another police car looks as though it has rolled over.”
Emergency crews rushed to the scene to free the injured officers and take them to hospital.
Supt Michelle Caisley said: “An investigation is under way to determine the full circumstances.”
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