A court heard a driver went through a red light before colliding with a police vehicle, which caught fire after the impact. She received a suspended prison sentence and a twelve-month driving ban.
A woman has been sentenced after a dangerous driving incident in Birkenhead resulted in a collision with a police car. Stacy Wright of Rock Ferry appeared before the Liverpool Crown Court for the event, which took place on November 12. At approximately 11:15 p.m., Wright was driving a Mercedes-Benz A-Class when she entered a junction while the traffic lights had been red for up to eight seconds.
At the same time, a police vehicle with its emergency lights activated was crossing the intersection on Watson Street. CCTV footage presented in court showed Wright turning directly into the path of the police vehicle, leading to the collision. The impact caused an immediate fire under the bonnet of the police car, which was subsequently written off. The court heard that the collision resulted in the loss of the police vehicle, valued at approximately £15,000, along with additional salvage costs.
The officer driving the police car, identified as Constable Thompson, sustained cuts to his face, bruising, and suffered from tinnitus and rib injuries. In a personal statement read to the court, Thompson described the fire caused by the collision as “terrifying” and noted that the incident had negatively affected both his recovery and family life. During the proceedings, prosecutor Nathan Cooper stated that the footage clearly demonstrated the sequence of events. Wright admitted to the charge of dangerous driving. Her defense attorney told the court that Wright is a hard-working single mother who is genuinely remorseful, characterizing the collision as the result of a momentary lapse in attention.
Ultimately, the court sentenced Wright to an eight-month prison term, suspended for 12 months. She was also disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £272 in costs.
