An off-road biker was left seriously injured after crashing into a signpost during a police chase. The 27-year-old man was pursued by officers after he refused to stop for them in Tyldesley, near Wigan, on 6 June 2021.
After attempting to mount a kerb, the rider hit a signpost and suffered serious head injuries. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has now found that the crash happened after the rider lost his balance.
The chase began after officers spotted four people on e-bikes they believed to have been stolen, the IOPC heard. The bikers refused to stop and sped away onto the Leigh Guided Busway.
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Three of the bikes left the busway and officers, one of whom activated the emergency lights and siren on his unmarked motorbike, continued to pursue the fourth. During the chase, which lasted less than two minutes, one officer made unsuccessful attempts to stop the suspect by making contact with the bike using his legs.
The bikes were travelling between 14 and 26mph at the time, the watchdog found. During each of the attempts to stop the e-bike, there was either a hedge or grassy slope to cushion the rider’s fall.
The chase continued onto Shuttle Street, where video footage showed the e-bike attempt to mount the pavement to avoid a parked car. The rider then lost his balance and crashed into a signpost.
There was no physical contact with either police officer or vehicle at this point, the IOPC found. The man suffered a serious head injury and officers gave him first aid while they waited for an ambulance.
The IOPC said investigators had concluded that the officers had acted "appropriately" throughout, and had not breached the police standards of professional behaviour.
A spokesperson said: "In relation to the man’s complaints – concerning the use of force, officer’s actions immediately following the pursuit, and whether they clearly identified themselves as police officers – we found the service provided by the police to be acceptable."
IOPC Regional Director Amanda Rowe added: “Incidents like this can be very concerning for the public and our investigation ensured independent scrutiny of police actions and decision-making. We found both officers acted appropriately in the circumstances.
“It is clear one of the officers attempted to bring the pursuit to an early conclusion using force, as allowed by law. We accepted his justification for this, as well as his risk assessment of the situation, and considered the level of force to be reasonable.
“We also considered a complaint about the actions of officers after the collision but found the evidence did not support the complainant’s account. Footage showed both officers provided medical assistance while they waited for paramedics.”
