Girl, 2, injured in police collision (From The Advertiser Series)

Girl, 2, injured in police collision

9:30am Friday 12th March 2010

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A CHILD suffered a broken leg when a police patrol car collided with another car as it responded to an emergency call.

The police car was overtaking a line of parked cars in Sherburn Village, near Durham City, when it was involved in a collision with a Vauxhall Astra containing a young family.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash, which happened at about 4.10pm on Wednesday last week as the officers were going to the scene of a fatal bus crash at Newfield, near Chester-le-Street.

The BMW police car, which had its emergency lights and siren on, was on the B1283 when it collided with the rear offside of the Astra.

A spokesman for Durham Police said: “The driver of the Astra, a 28-year-old woman from Bowburn, was treated at the University Hospital of North Durham for a minor leg injury.

“Her two young children, a four-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl also went to hospital where it was confirmed the girl had suffered a broken leg.”

The police driver and his passenger, both of them constables with the North Area road policing unit, were unhurt and were able to continue their shift.

The officers were responding to a crash involving a bus and a coach.

Bus driver Gordon George Hutchinson, a 58-year-old father of three from Chester-le-Street, died in the accident. An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned on Tuesday.

The driver of the coach, 50-year-old Jack Hall, of Stanley, remains in a critical condition at Newcastle General Hospital.

Three passengers on the 28-seater bus driven by Mr Hutchinson were injured in the accident.

Frank Bourne, 69, of Pelton Fell, is recovering from a fractured pelvis and other injuries in hospital.

Two women, aged 72 and 50, both of Newfield, were treated or minor injuries.

Police ask witnesses who have not contacted them after the Sherburn accident to call 0345-6060-365.

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