Negative blood tests confirm officer had no illegal drugs in system at time of fatal collision
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Blood test results have confirmed an officer had no illegal drugs present in his system at the time of a fatal collision in Aylestone Road, Leicester.
The officer, who is from the force’s Roads Policing Unit, had attempted to stop a black BMW in Aylestone Road shortly before 4am on Friday 25 November.
The driver had failed to stop and after a short pursuit his vehicle – which was travelling county-bound – was involved in a collision close to the junction with Richmond Avenue.
The driver of the car – a man in his 20s – sadly was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger – a man in his 20s – suffered injuries that were not life-threatening or life-changing and was later discharged from hospital.
It is a matter of routine for officers to be subject to roadside breath and drugs tests if they are involved in a collision even where no contact is made with another vehicle as was the case here.
At the time, the roadside drug test indicated a positive result and the officer was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drugs. The officer was adamant he did not have any illegal substance in his system. Shortly after the incident, the officer was subjected to blood tests taken by independent practitioners. Roadside drug tests are only indicative and can be influenced by a range of factors such as cross-contamination or producing a false positive result and as such are always corroborated by blood tests.
The test was carried out by a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited laboratory and we are pleased to share the results showed absolutely no evidence of any drugs in the officer’s blood system. The officer’s restrictions have been lifted with immediate effect and there has been independent oversight from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Following the collision, as is mandatory following any death involving any form of police contact, the incident was referred to the IOPC who continue to review the circumstances of the pursuit and the collision.