Woman fighting for life after being struck by van that veered onto golf course in police chase
A woman has suffered life-threatening injuries after she was struck by a van that veered onto a golf course during a police chase.
The woman remains critically injured following the crash at Aston Wood Golf Club in Little Aston, close to Sutton Coldfield, on Friday, April 11.
The woman was taken to hospital in an air ambulance, according to West Midlands Ambulance Service. Police regulator the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has also launched an investigation.
The pursuit began in Kingstanding, Birmingham, at around 10.15am, when West Midlands Police officers started tailing a Nissan van following reports of suspicious activity.
Officers stopped the chase when the van left the road and went up an embankment on to the golf course, where it struck the woman. Emergency services were called to assist at 10.26am.
One eyewitness who works at a nearby butcher’s told Metro: "We saw all the commotion.
"A black van came racing through our car park then went up Clarence Road, he managed to turn himself around and shot up Rosemary Hill Road.
"He spun around on one of the back streets and then went down to the golf course. Good job no one was in our car park or they would have been mowed down."
A West Ambulance spokesman confirmed the woman suffered life-threatening injuries and was given advanced life supportand advanced trauma care at the scene, before being airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
An IOPC spokesman said: "We can confirm we are independently investigating West Midlands Police's involvement prior to a road traffic collision in Staffordshire, earlier today, following which a member of the public has sustained serious injuries.
"Officers followed a short time later, on foot, and gave first aid to the woman, who was then taken to hospital for treatment for life-changing injuries.
"As soon as we were notified by West Midlands Police of the incident, we sent investigators to the scene and police post-incident procedures to begin gathering evidence.
"Our investigation is in its initial stages."