Police Officer Describes Fatal Collision as 'Tragic Accident' in Court Proceedings
A serving police officer who struck and killed a 74-year-old woman while responding to an emergency call has described the incident as a 'tragic accident' during court proceedings. The fatal collision occurred when PC Mark Roberts drove through a red light in his marked police vehicle, hitting a motorbike carrying Muriel Pinkney and her husband near the Metrocentre in Gateshead.
Details of the Fatal Incident
The court heard that the incident took place in July 2022 when Roberts, aged 57, was responding to a grade-one emergency call concerning a choking five-week-old baby. The officer had activated his blue lights and sirens as he navigated through traffic and red lights in his Northumbria Police Peugeot 308. According to the prosecution, the ambulance service had specifically requested police assistance, indicating paramedics believed they couldn't reach the infant before officers could arrive.
Muriel Pinkney, who was travelling as a passenger on the motorbike driven by her 81-year-old husband Ronald, sustained fatal injuries in the collision. She died in hospital several days after the crash. Her husband suffered serious injuries including bleeding on the brain and multiple fractures that required surgical intervention.
Court Proceedings and Legal Position
During the ongoing trial at Teesside Crown Court, prosecuting barrister John Harrison KC read a series of agreed facts to the jury. Roberts, who resides in Darlington, has admitted causing death by careless driving but denies the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving. He has also admitted causing serious injury to Ronald Pinkney by careless driving while denying the dangerous driving equivalent for those injuries.
The court heard that Roberts provided a prepared statement during his police interview, in which he answered 'no comment' to questions but offered his account of events. In his statement, the officer described seeing a white van make an emergency stop moments before the collision, but stated he couldn't see anything else as he approached the junction.
The Officer's Account of the Collision
Roberts' statement, read aloud in court, detailed his recollection of the incident: 'The next thing I recall is there was a bang and both airbags deployed and I hit the windscreen which knocked me out for a few seconds.' When he regained consciousness, he saw two people wearing crash helmets on the ground before blacking out again. He received treatment in an ambulance before being transported to hospital.
The officer concluded his statement by expressing his belief that the incident was a tragic accident and offering his sincere condolences to Muriel Pinkney's family. Ronald Pinkney told police in his interview that he could hear a police siren before the collision but believed it was coming from a considerable distance away, stating he hadn't seen Roberts' police vehicle before impact.
Trial Developments and Continuing Proceedings
The jury has been informed that Roberts will not be giving evidence during the trial, and no defence witnesses will be called to testify. The trial continues at Teesside Crown Court as the prosecution presents its case regarding the dangerous driving charges that remain contested.
This case highlights the complex legal considerations surrounding emergency response driving and the balance between urgent duty and road safety responsibilities. The court must determine whether Roberts' actions constituted dangerous driving or whether, as he maintains, the fatal collision resulted from a tragic accident during legitimate emergency response procedures.
