'Road rage' police officer fled crash scene

Peter Lawson was working as a police officer when he was involved in a collision but failed to stop at the scene to exchange the necessary details

A former Wiltshire Police officer who was involved in a collision but failed to stop at the scene would have been dismissed had he not resigned, a panel has found.

Peter Lawson was also accused at a misconduct hearing of being involved in a road rage incident while off-duty, and making an inappropriate comment about a fellow police officer.

A misconduct chair concluded that former PC Peter Lawson’s actions amounted to gross misconduct.

Dep Ch Con Craig Dibdin said: "We expect officers to reflect the highest standards of conduct while carrying out their duties and on this occasion Lawson’s actions fell far short of the public’s expectations."

Road rage

On the morning of 7 December 2022, PC Lawson was driving a marked police van on blue lights along the A4 Avenue La Fleche, in Chippenham, when he was involved in a collision with another vehicle.

He failed to stop at the scene to provide necessary details. Lawson was then suspended from the force and later resigned.

He appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on 13 November where he denied the offence of failing to stop at the scene of a road traffic collision, but was found guilty.

His licence was endorsed with five points and he was fined £600 for driving without due care and attention. He also had to pay £775 to the Crown Prosecution Service and a victim surcharge of £480.

At a misconduct hearing in Devizes, an independent, legally-qualified chair considered four allegations against Lawson.

These were; being involved in a road rage incident while off-duty, making an inappropriate and disrespectful comment about a fellow officer, and using a vehicle on a police operation which he had been told not to use. The allegations, as well as the crash incident, were all upheld and Lawson’s behaviour was found to amount to gross misconduct.

'Lawson's actions illegal'

Dep Ch Con Craig Dibdinsaid: “Lawson’s actions not only amounted to gross misconduct but they were illegal.

“There is no place in our organisation for anyone who conducts themselves in this way and we encourage all members of the force to use an anonymous reporting tool if they have concerns regarding a colleagues behaviour."

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