A man remains in hospital with serious injuries after a VW Golf being pursued by police crashed into another car in Derbyshire, with officers now appealing to trace an elderly dog walker who narrowly avoided the collision and may have witnessed the vehicle’s movements beforehand.
A man has been seriously injured after crashing during a police pursuit in Derbyshire, as officers now search for a dog walker who narrowly avoided being struck by the fleeing vehicle. Police were pursuing a VW Golf that had failed to stop on the A6007 in Heanor, just after 12.15pm on Tuesday, 8 September. As the Golf reached Hardy Barn in Shipley, heading towards Ilkeston, it crashed into a VW T-Cross travelling in the opposite direction.
Injuries and vehicle damage
Derbyshire Police confirmed that the driver of the Golf suffered severe injuries and remains in hospital. Neither the driver nor passenger of the VW T-Cross suffered serious injuries in the collision, the force said. A third vehicle, a Ford Fiesta, was also damaged during the incident, though police have clarified that the Fiesta was not directly involved in the initial crash and was instead damaged by flying debris.
Appeal to trace the dog walker
Police are now trying to trace an elderly man who was walking his dog in the area at the time of the crash. According to officers, the man was crossing the road between Ilkeston Hospital and Shipley Park Garden Centre when the fleeing Golf narrowly missed him, shortly before it collided with the VW T-Cross. Investigators believe he may have witnessed the vehicle’s movements in the moments immediately before the crash, making him a potentially important witness to the incident.
Anyone with information, including the dog walker himself, has been urged to contact Derbyshire Police through their website or by calling 101.
Mandatory watchdog referral
Because the crash occurred during a police pursuit, Derbyshire Police confirmed they will make a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). This referral is a legal requirement whenever a serious injury occurs during a police chase, rather than a discretionary step taken by the force. At this stage, there is no confirmation that the IOPC has launched a full independent investigation into the incident; the confirmed position is simply that Derbyshire Police will submit the required referral.
Part of a wider pattern of police pursuits
The Derbyshire crash follows another high-speed police chase in Hampshire last month, in which a driver reached speeds of up to 130mph. Tia Paget, 34, was caught on dashcam footage racing past other vehicles on the motorway and swerving between lanes before officers eventually caught up with her.
