Police Car Crash
The death of a Stockport man killed in a collision with a marked police car is being investigated.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) are looking into the crash at the junction of the A39 near Catcott village, in Somerset.
A police car carrying armed officers to a firearms incident was in collision with a Nissan Primera carrying a 77-year-old man and a woman in her 70s. The police car was marked and had its blue lights on.
The elderly pair, both from Stockport, were taken to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton. The man died several hours later. The woman's injuries are described as not life-threatening. Two male police officers were treated for minor injuries.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: "The incident involving a road policing unit vehicle attending a firearms incident was in collision with another car at the junction of the A39 with Catcott village.
"The occupants of a Nissan Primera - a 77-year-old man and a woman in her 70s, both from Stockport - were taken to Musgrove Park Hospital at Taunton. The man died a number of hours later.
"The matter has now been voluntarily referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission."
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Stephen Nye from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: "Whilst the exact cause of this accident will become clearer in light of the Police Complaints Commission investigation, and Coroner's inquest, it is unfortunately an all too common occurrence of a death arising from a road traffic crash.
"Whilst it is clear that the emergency services need to get to the scene of an incident as soon as they can, they must still exercise proper caution and take into account the safety of other road users. From my experience of similar cases, if the driver of an emergency vehicle, who is usually specially trained, has not exercised proper caution, then anyone injured as a result may be able to pursue a claim against the emergency services organisation."