Police illogical over US man's crash - review

Elizabeth Donowho was unable to walk for six weeks after she was injured in a crash involving a US citizen

Police response to a complaint over a car crash that saw a US citizen flee the UK after a woman was seriously injured was illogical, an outcome letter has revealed.

Elizabeth Donowho, 56, made a complaint to West Mercia Police after she was left unable to walk for six weeks after the crash.

Ms Donowho, of Malvern, was later told the service provided by police was "acceptable", despite the suspect Issac Calderon leaving the country before appearing in court.

However, Tony Morriss, deputy chief executive for the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, drew comparisons to the Harry Dunn case and said: "I am of the view that most reasonably minded people, if they knew the circumstances of this case, would find that the response of the force in this case was not acceptable."

Ms Donowho was injured on the the A4103 near Shucknall in Herefordshire, in July last year.

'Flight risk'

Mr Calderon was later accused of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, but later boarded a commercial flight to Texas on 25 November.

That was despite the then 22-year-old being labelled a potential "flight risk".

Police had said Mr Calderon was not arrested immediately after the crash, which had also left him seriously injured and needing hospital treatment.

Because no arrest had been made, there were no bail conditions and the West Mercia force said they had "no power to stop him leaving the country".

A response Ms Donowho's complaint initially stated "the service provided by the police was acceptable".

However, in an Outcome of Complaint Review, published last week, Mr Morriss recommended the complaint should be reconsidered by the force.

While he was satisfied with most aspects of the complaint procedure, he said: "My review finds that the response you received from West Mercia Police was neither proportionate nor logical."

'Suspected of serious offence'

He later stated he did not agree with the rationale not to arrest Mr Calderon.

"Mr Calderon was a foreign national suspected of committing a serious offence, for which there was a likelihood of him receiving a significant sentence if convicted at court," Mr Morriss explained.

"He was only working in the UK for a limited period of time and accordingly, despite initial compliance with the police investigation, I believe that serious consideration should have been given to the possibility of him leaving the UK to avoid appearing at court."

The review has recommended the need for reflective practice learning for the officers involved in the case.

West Mercia Police Professional Standards Department will now have 28 days to respond to recommendations set out in Mr Morriss' review.