Police watchdogs drop probe into cop car Birmingham OAP crash

Apr 24 2011 by Jonny Greatrex, Sunday Mercury

COPS who reversed over a pensioner on a busy Birmingham street will NOT be investigated by police watchdogs.

The 79-year-old woman was hit as she crossed the road while shopping in the Handsworth area of the city on March 25.

Eyewitnesses claimed cops only realised what they had done when horrified onlookers screamed at them to stop their marked BMW estate.

The OAP, who was pulled under the wheels, was taken to hospital where she was treated for “non-life threatening injuries”.

West Midlands Police passed details of the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission to be investigated.

But last night a spokesman for the force confirmed the matter was now being handled internally after the IPCC dropped the case.

“The incident is no longer being investigated by the IPCC,” said a West Midlands Police spokesman.

“We referred it to them initially but they have decided it can be handled at a local level.

“Our investigation is still ongoing.”

The horrific incident happened next to a primary school as parents waited to collect their children.

Speaking at the time a mum-of-three who saw the accident, said: “There were three police sitting in their car.

“It was a big police car, an estate one.

‘‘All of a sudden they began reversing and hit the old lady, who was crossing the road with a trolley.

“People starting running toward the cops and screaming at them to stop.

“I couldn’t run because I had my children with me.

“The police didn’t seem to have a clue what had happened. They were shouting at people, asking: ‘What are you doing?’

“Eventually they realised what had happened, stopped and got out.”

The elderly victim was cared for by West Midlands Ambulance Service.

“We were called at 3.30pm on March 25 to reports of pedestrian being hit by a car,” said a spokesman.

“We were on the scene within eight minutes of the call.

“Crews treated the woman before taking her by ambulance to hospital.

“We are unable to confirm the nature of her injuries but we do know they were not life-threatening.”

The accident happened on Rookery Road in north Birmingham, at the junction with Newcombe Road.

jonny.greatrex@sundaymercury.net