Driver killed after late-night city centre pursuit

May 26 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post

Great Howard St Accident

A POLICE pursuit ended in tragedy on one of the main routes leading in and out of Liverpool.

The driver of a blue Ford Focus died yesterday after his car veered off the road at the junction of Great Howard Street and Blackstone Street, in Vauxhall, and collided with railings.

A police patrol car had spotted the car on Riverside Drive in south Liverpool around 3.45am on Sunday. Officers were concerned about the man’s driving, according to a police spokeswoman.

The police car put on its blue flashing lights, but the driver did not pull over and a pursuit ensued from Aigburth through the city centre and into the Vauxhall area of north Liverpool.

It ended when the car smashed into the railings. Firefighters from Kirkdale attended the scene and made the area safe but the driver was already lying outside the car at that stage.

The lone casualty, a man in his 30s from the Aigburth area, was taken to hospital but died a short time later. The coroner has been informed.

No-one else was in the car and no-one else was injured.

Police have not yet released the name of the deceased, and no further details were issued by the force. But crash scene investigators sealed off the road until midday, creating difficulties for people trying to get to the Stanley Dock market.

A police spokeswoman said: “The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.”

The IPCC are still looking into a death that also involved a police vehicle three weeks ago, farther along the A565.

On that occasion, one man died and four others were injured on Derby Road, Bootle.

The Lexus driver was travelling towards the city when the car careered into the path of an oncoming van.

At the time of the collision, the Lexus was being followed by officers in an unmarked police car. That matter was also put in the hands of the IPCC.

richarddown