A police force has referred itself to a watchdog after a pensioner died following a crash with an unmarked police car in Stoke-on-Trent.
A red Nissan Micra was in a collision with the unmarked Skoda Octavia, driven by Staffordshire Police, shortly after 3.50pm on Thursday 5 December. The police car was using its blue lights at the time.
The driver of the Nissan, who was a woman in her eighties, was taken to hospital following the collision on Park Hall Road near the junction with Hulme Road, in the southeastern area of the Midlands city.
She was readmitted to hospital on 16 December and died on Christmas Day. Specially trained officers are supporting her family, Staffordshire Police said in a statement.
Following her death, the police force has now been re-referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which will investigate the “actions and decisions of police before the collision”.
Officers are now appealing to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time, or who saw the vehicles in the lead-up to the crash.
A statement from the IOPC read: “We have today decided to independently investigate the actions of officers prior to a traffic collision in Stoke-on-Trent on 5 December involving a Staffordshire Police vehicle.
“A conduct referral made to the IOPC by Staffordshire Police was initially assessed as suitable for an investigation to be carried out locally by the force.
“A re-referral was made after the woman was readmitted to hospital and sadly died on 25 December.
“Following this tragic development we have now decided to independently investigate the circumstances, including the actions and decisions of police before the collision.
“Our thoughts are with the family of the woman who died and we will be making contact with them to explain our role and how our investigation will be conducted.”
The IOPC is a public body which oversees the complaints system for police forces in England and Wales, and referrals to the organisation are mandatory following an incident involving a police vehicle.
Anyone with information is urged to call 101 and quote incident 404 of 5 December, or email ciu@staffordshire.police.uk to speak directly with collision investigators.