Mother Crashes Into Police Car After Running Red Light

A mother has been given a suspended prison sentence after driving through a red light and crashing into a police car, causing it to burst into flames.

CCTV footage shown in court captured Stacie Wright's white Mercedes-Benz A-Class colliding with the police vehicle at a junction in Birkenhead, Merseyside.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the crash happened at around 11.15pm on November 12 after Wright drove through a red light that had been showing for up to eight seconds.

At the same moment, a police car with its blue lights activated was travelling through the junction on a green signal along Watson Street. The footage showed Wright turning into the path of the approaching vehicle before the impact.

The collision caused an immediate fire in the front of the police car, with flames erupting from beneath the bonnet.

The officer driving the vehicle suffered facial cuts, bruising, tinnitus and rib injuries that took around two months to heal. In a victim impact statement, Pc Thompson said the sight of the car on fire had been "terrifying" and that he continued to relive the incident whenever he tried to sleep.

The police vehicle, valued at about £15,000, was destroyed and written off, with additional salvage costs of £2,500.

Wright, 35, from Rock Ferry, Merseyside, admitted dangerous driving and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months. She was also banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £272.

Her defence lawyer told the court that Wright was a hardworking single mother and hairdresser who was genuinely remorseful, describing the incident as a momentary lapse in concentration.

Sentencing her, Charles Wood, head of the bench, said the CCTV footage showed one of the most serious examples of the offence under the sentencing guidelines.

He told Wright: "The traffic light had been red for a considerable period of time — as much as eight seconds. The collision was caused by a significant lack of attention on your part."

GV Hale