Witnesses have described the horrific moment an 11-year-old boy was struck by a police van in Lancaster on May 25th following an emergency call. A tragic accident occurred on Owen Road, leaving the unnamed child in critical condition at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. Lancashire Police released a statement expressing their sympathy for the boy’s loved ones and the investigation into the collision is now underway by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
According to reports, the impact of the crash was severe enough to knock over a nearby traffic light. It is unclear if the young boy had any links to a building at the scene that had been a secondary school. To gain further understanding of the event, police are asking for any witnesses or video footage to come forward.
Several bystanders have already provided their accounts of the incident, with one man expressing his concern to the Daily Mail. He said, “What happened is awful. He is just a little boy. Everyone is hoping and praying he gets better.” Another woman, biking the area prior to the crash, commented about the speed and quantity of police cars arriving on the scene with their sirens on.
The accident occurred days after the tragic death of two teenage boys in Wales when they were struck by a police van and the IOPC is also conducting an investigation into this separate event.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is an independent investigative body set up in 2017 to look into complaints against police officers throughout England and Wales. The organisation is responsible for ensuring the police are held accountable for their actions while protecting public trust in the police and the criminal justice system. They do this through the investigation of complaints against police and the examination of whether police may have behaved incorrectly, as well as by monitoring police training and practice. The IOPC is also responsible for monitoring the police’s response to serious or sensitive incidents.
The 11-year-old boy remains in critical condition and the IOPC’s investigations will only bring us closer to understanding the tragic events of May 25.
