PC under criminal investigation over Rochdale chase crash

The man was on a footpath on Rochdale Road when he was struck

A police officer is under criminal investigation following a crash which left a man seriously injured.

The pedestrian was critically hurt when he was hit by a police van which was pursuing a suspected drunk driver in Rochdale on 19 November.

The police watchdog said a PC was under investigation for the potential offence of causing serious injury by dangerous or careless driving.

A gross misconduct investigation has also been launched, it said.

Greater Manchester Police, which had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after the crash according to standard procedure, said the force was unable to comment.

Footage reviewed

The IOPC said the officer, driving a marked police vehicle, had tried to stop a suspected drunk driver on Drake Street at about 03:30 GMT.

After a short pursuit, which the IOPC said lasted "approximately a minute", the van struck the man on the footpath of Rochdale Road.

A 38-year-old man suffered serious injuries and was treated by officers at the scene before he was taken to hospital.

CCTV footage, police radio transmissions and body worn video footage of officers had been reviewed, the IOPC said.

The watchdog said the unnamed officer was under criminal investigation for the potential offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving or causing serious injury by careless driving, or careless driving, or dangerous driving and was also being investigated for potential gross misconduct.

IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said the investigation was in its early stages.

"We will continue to investigate the actions and decision-making of the officer during the pursuit and at the end of our investigation, we will then decide whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision and decide whether the officer should face disciplinary proceedings," she said.