Shocking CCTV footage has captured the moment a mother ran a red light and crashed into a police car, causing it to burst into flames. Stacie Wright, 35, drove her white Mercedes-Benz A-Class into the police vehicle after she ignored a red light in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Flames can immediately after be seen coming from under the police car's bonnet.
Court Details and Testimony
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Wright, a hairdresser, crossed the junction despite traffic lights having been red for up to eight seconds. At the same moment, a police car with its blue lights on was travelling through a green light on Watson Street. CCTV played to the court shows Wright begin turning right directly into the path of the police vehicle before the two collide. Prosecutor Nathan Cooper said: "I think that footage amply illustrates what occurred."
The police vehicle, worth £15,000, was destroyed in the crash and written off, with a further £2,500 in salvage costs. Its driver, Constable Thompson, described the "terrifying" moment of the collision.
Victim Impact Statement
In his victim impact statement read to the court, the officer said: "I suffered cuts to my face and bruising, as well as tinnitus and pain to my ribs which took two months to heal. I’m struggling to sleep as I cannot get comfortable due to my injuries, causing difficulties with my relationship. The fact my vehicle was actually on fire was terrifying. Such is the burden on me to put others first, my first thought was to get out and check on the driver. Had I been going one or two miles per hour faster, I could have killed someone."
"How close I was to losing everything due to the actions of someone else. Every time I close my eyes to go to sleep I still see the flames coming up the bonnet and the smoke filling up my lungs. My 12-year-old has additional needs and she is still recovering from being woken in the night to be told what had happened. Even six months on, she still makes passing remarks about the crash." The crash also left the officer in "extreme pain", leaving him with no choice but to take time off work and miss training opportunities. This led to "financial difficulties", he said.
Defense and Sentencing
Mr Hunt, defending, said Wright, a "hardworking" single mother, was "genuinely remorseful" and described the collision, which took place around 11.15pm on November 12, as a "moment of inattention". Sentencing, Charles Wood, Head of the Bench, said the CCTV showed Wright had committed "the most serious offence" under the sentencing guidelines. He said: "The CCTV footage is very clear, and, having seen it, we determine this is a category A1 offence, the most serious offence. The traffic light you went through was red for a significant period of time, as much as eight seconds. Clearly, a lot of inattention on your behalf. Nine times out of ten this wouldn’t happen, but it’s precisely because of the possible consequences that we have such things in place. The fact is: it did happen."
Wright, of Rock Ferry, Merseyside, was handed an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months. She was also banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £272.
