A 71-year-old woman has tragically died after being struck by a police vehicle in Cairns, north Queensland. The incident occurred around 7am on Thursday when the Queensland Police car crossed an intersection from a left-only lane and collided with the elderly pedestrian, identified as local resident Boksoon Kwon, as she was crossing on a green light.
Details of the Incident
According to reports from the Cairns Post, the three officers inside the vehicle were attempting to apprehend an offender at the time of the collision. The Queensland Police Union has confirmed that the officers were in pursuit of a suspect when the accident happened at the intersection of Sheridan and Lily streets.
Investigation Underway
Authorities will now investigate whether the officers were engaged in 'urgent duty driving'—a provision that allows police to exceed normal traffic rules when responding to priority code one or two incidents, or when an immediate response is required and it is not practical to obtain a priority code. Deputy Commissioner John Tims stated that CCTV footage, police vehicle recordings, and public dashcam videos will be reviewed as part of the investigation. He declined to comment on specific video evidence but confirmed it would be examined.
The tragic event has raised questions about police driving protocols and pedestrian safety. The investigation aims to determine the circumstances leading to the fatal collision and whether proper procedures were followed.
