Early Morning High-Speed Chase Ends in Dramatic Disaster
In the early hours of Saturday morning at about 02:00, chaos unfolded as MET Control responded to a 999 call reporting of two men armed with knives stealing a vehicle. Road Transport Policing Command (RTPC) and the Dog Support Unit (DSU) were swiftly dispatched to scene, that sparked an intense high-speed chase.
The high-speed pursuit escalated when the suspects were made aware of the police presence, as they initiated dangerous manoeuvres with no care of public safety. Escalating risks prompted traffic officers to seek authorization for a high-speed tactical contact.
Tragically, at location 3027, the attempted tactical contact failed, resulting in a traumatic crash into a petrol pump at 3025 and the vehicle burst into flames. Police units on scene swiftly requested for the London Fire Brigade (LFB), London Ambulance Services (LAS) and the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART)
The unfolding crisis saw a race against time, with the Fire Brigade and the Hazardous Area Response Team battling the intense fire and quickly extracting the injured casualties. Adding urgency to the scene, a HEMS Doctor arrived on scene to deliver life-saving care to the casualties amidst the chaos. Both casualties were treated for burns and air lifted to the nearest trauma centre.
A statement from Police Command - XS3 Lewis Tetlow.
"It was a tense pursuit, they were putting many lives at risk with their dangerous driving, fortunately RTPC were able to disable their vehicle, however this lead to the unfortunate turn of event as the vehicle crashed into a petrol pump. As the vehicle was on fire, we were unable to do anything, however with the rapid response from LFB, HART, HEMS the incident was quickly resolved, we hope the victims can make a fast recovery."