A man has tragically died after being struck by a police car in Birmingham while officers were responding to a 999 call. The 40-year-old pedestrian was hit just before 7pm on Wednesday evening on Yardley Road, near the junction with Florence Road in Acocks Green.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, but despite the best efforts of paramedics, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed that nothing more could be done to save him.
West Midlands Police have informed the man’s family and are offering support during this difficult time. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the incident, which is now under scrutiny as part of the ongoing inquiry.
The police car was responding to a report of a man carrying knives on Warwick Road. However, when officers arrived, they found no sign of any disorder. The crash occurred while the officers were still en route.
Witnesses have shared their shock at the scene. Imran Sardar, a local witness, described the aftermath as “busy with emergency services,” saying, “Just a couple of minutes after [the crash], there was way, way more police, and 10 minutes later, there were more than 20 people and three or four ambulances.” He added, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
A local resident, who lives near the crash site, explained that the area was usually a busy route, with both emergency vehicles and regular traffic speeding through. “It’s where you live, you don’t want to know about things like this. You like to think that where you are is safe, and all this has done is prove it isn’t safe.”
The incident has left the community in shock, with Shiny Thomas, who runs a nearby business, Kerala Ayurveda Holistics, expressing her concern. “It’s shocking that it’s happened right outside. It is a very busy road, but you don’t expect this.”
The two officers in the vehicle were not injured, and the West Midlands Police force is working closely with the IOPC during the investigation. Derrick Campbell, Director of the IOPC, stated that part of the investigation would focus on understanding the circumstances to provide clarity for both the public and the deceased’s family.
“We have to understand that police are responding to emergencies every single day, multiple times throughout the day, and they are highly trained to do so,” Campbell said. “But that doesn’t mean that sometimes things don’t go wrong.”
The IOPC has called on any witnesses or those with dashcam footage of the incident to come forward and assist with the investigation.
