Shocking moment police officer going too fast crashed into oncoming car captured on camera
Shocking moment police officer going too fast crashed into oncoming car captured on camera
PC Phillip Thomas 'drifted' into the opposite lane while taking a bend at 59mph in his police van - which was faster than he was trained to drive at on that road
A police officer crashed into an oncoming car while pursuing a suspect vehicle at speed in a van, a court has heard. Constable Phillip Thomas crossed the white lines in the middle of the road as he took a bend at 59mph and hit a car coming in the opposite direction before slamming into a lamppost.
The car which PC Thomas hit suffered "extensive damage" in the collision and its driver, minor injuries in the form of cuts and abrasions. Swansea Crown Court heard the officer had passed a police driving course which permitted him to drive at 20mph above the speed limit when necessary, but that at the time of the crash he was exceeding the limit by 29mph.
The officer - who was removed from frontline policing following the incident - will now be subject to a police disciplinary procedure for gross misconduct.
Nik Strobl, prosecuting, told the court that the incident occurred in the early hours of September 29 last year when PC Thomas and a colleague were in a marked police van in Ammanford.
He said at 2.20am a white hatchback car outside the Cottage Inn pub drew the attention of officers, and they began to follow it.
The court heard that the car initially drove at normal speed but when it reached Ammanford College it accelerated away on the 30mph road - the officers illuminated the blue lights on their Vauxhall Vivaro van and pursued it. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter here.
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The prosecutor said that as the defendant followed the car he took a left-hand bend on Dyffryn Road but under-steered and drifted across the white lines into the middle of the road where he came into contact with a car coming in the opposite direction.
He said the car suffered "extensive damage" in the collision but fortunately the female driver did not suffer serious injury, though did attend hospital for checks to be done on her shoulder.
The police van crashed into a lamppost after colliding with the car
(Image: CPS Cymru )
The court heard the defendant had passed a police driving course in 2021 which permitted him to drive at 20mph above the speed limit in the course of his duties, but at the time of the collision had been travelling at 59mph in the 30mph zone. Data from the police van showed he had reached a top speed of 68mph during the course of the pursuit.
Phillip Thomas, of Dafen, Llanelli, had previously pleaded guilty to careless driving when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions, and at the time of the collision had a clean driving licence.
James Hartson, for Thomas, said in the course of pursuing a car which may have held "miscreants" the court may feel it was difficult for the defendant to judge his speed exactly.
He said it was a case of "classic under-steer" on a bend in a van not designed to corner at speed which resulted in the defendant "drifting" into the opposite lane.
The barrister said his client had been an officer for four years and had received commendations for his police work as well as letters of thanks from members of the public.
Judge Paul Thomas KC said that in course of his duties following "potential miscreants" in his police van the defendant had encroached on the central white lines and collided with an oncoming car.
He noted in the immediate aftermath of the crash the defendant had been "very apologetic" to the other driver and been "solicitous of her health".
The judge said it was clear PC Thomas was a well-regarded officer adding: "I suspect the greatest punishment is the ignominy and embarrassment of an officer appearing in a crown court".
The judge noted that the defendant had indicated at magistrates court that he would plead guilty to careless driving but that had been rejected by the Crown Prosecution Service and a charge of dangerous driving was pursued. The matter made its way to crown court where the plea to the lesser charge was subsequently accepted.
With a one-third discount for his guilty plea and in accordance with the sentencing guidelines for careless driving Thomas was fined £275 and had six penalty points put on his licence. He will also have to pay a court surcharge of £110. The officer was given 28 days to pay the fine with seven days in prison in default.
Speaking after the sentencing, Dyfed-Powys Police superintendent Phil Rowe, head of the force's professional standards department, said: "PC Thomas is a police response driver and had undertaken training, which included following and attempting to stop vehicles with the blue lights illuminated, but his driving on that day fell below the standard expected of an officer trained in such circumstances. It is only proper that he has been held to account for his actions."
The force said PC Thomas had been re-deployed from frontline duties since the incident and was subject to a parallel gross misconduct investigation by the professional standards department.
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