Police car crash on A10 tonight
Discussion
Anyone see the Police Transit Van smash on the A10 in Herts this evening? Just at a layby and was quite bad, but van upright and a brand new one too - so actually really good in a smash.....
But, van off road and not blocking traffic. Police in attendance and blocked off one lane - which is OK. But why was there the need to have 5 police cars in attendance? It wasnt nice, but to be honest do you really need 5? 4 speeding to the scene and one already there - which was doing perfectly OK in dealing with the situation....
Why so many? Just wondering....
P.S. If its someone that you know then sorry - sympathy as it could happen to anyone....
But, van off road and not blocking traffic. Police in attendance and blocked off one lane - which is OK. But why was there the need to have 5 police cars in attendance? It wasnt nice, but to be honest do you really need 5? 4 speeding to the scene and one already there - which was doing perfectly OK in dealing with the situation....
Why so many? Just wondering....
P.S. If its someone that you know then sorry - sympathy as it could happen to anyone....
pbrettle said:
Anyone see the Police Transit Van smash on the A10 in Herts this evening? Just at a layby and was quite bad, but van upright and a brand new one too - so actually really good in a smash.....
But, van off road and not blocking traffic. Police in attendance and blocked off one lane - which is OK. But why was there the need to have 5 police cars in attendance? It wasnt nice, but to be honest do you really need 5? 4 speeding to the scene and one already there - which was doing perfectly OK in dealing with the situation....
Why so many? Just wondering....
P.S. If its someone that you know then sorry - sympathy as it could happen to anyone....
Difficult to say as there could be a million and one reasons as we all know, eg injuries, prisoners actually in the back of the van at the time...the fact that its on a fast road etc etc.
Hopefully no one was hurt.
Someone had a blowout about on the M25 on Sunday morning about 2 mins before I got there, judging by the length of the queue that had formed, it was attended by about 5/6 traffic cars, most of whom naffed off shortly afterwards as they wern't needed.
I guess no-one knows quite how bad these things are until someone has been able to asses the situation, in which case you want as many plod on their way there as possible in case it's a bad one.
They probably just hung about longer than usual as it was one of their mates and they had some pi55taking to do (hopefully).
I guess no-one knows quite how bad these things are until someone has been able to asses the situation, in which case you want as many plod on their way there as possible in case it's a bad one.
They probably just hung about longer than usual as it was one of their mates and they had some pi55taking to do (hopefully).
an armed robber used this to his advantage about a year ago in staffordshire! with the closures of local police stations, the police are based in the larger towns! penkridge had a station closed, the police then were based three miles away in cannock! this chap had obviously noticed how many cars rush to the scene! so he did a building society in penkridge and scarpered, while the police were rushing to penkridge en masse, he rushed to cannock and ten minutes later did another building society 150 yards from the police station! 
It is usual procedure to send at least 2 units to an IRTA. One to deal and one to monitor and protect the scene. In the case of a fast road, it may require at least 2 cars to assit with scene safety and if lots of witnesses another car to assist in dealing with the witnesses quickly. In the case of a Police vehicle accident, a supervisor will be required to attend to deal with the incident. Supervisors on Trafpol usually work alone and therefore that would mean another unit on scene.
If both initial traffic cars are single crewed as they very often are in the county forces during the day at least, and there was a requirement for three officers, this could require the need for three cars to get them there. One of the units may be a traffic accident investigator (TAI), especially in the case of either serious injury, death or serious damage, allegation or evidence of serious driving offences, in another marked traffic car.
You can therefore see that an accident on a major road with serious implications may need at least 1 supervisor, 2 officers dealing with the recovery and interview of suspect drivers and any witnesses, a minimum of 2 officers to make the scene safe for other drivers approaching the accident and to protect those in and around it and an accident investigator. As you can see if they are patrolling alone to give the impression of more marked units on the streets, then there could quite easily be 6 units at the scene.
Police vehicle accidents have to be dealt with by the next senior rank in line or the one above him/her. If the driver is a PC then a Sgt deals (usually traffpol) if a Sgt was driving, then an Inspector must deal, Inspector means a Chief inspector or Supt etc.
>> Edited by madcop on Wednesday 27th August 20:16
If both initial traffic cars are single crewed as they very often are in the county forces during the day at least, and there was a requirement for three officers, this could require the need for three cars to get them there. One of the units may be a traffic accident investigator (TAI), especially in the case of either serious injury, death or serious damage, allegation or evidence of serious driving offences, in another marked traffic car.
You can therefore see that an accident on a major road with serious implications may need at least 1 supervisor, 2 officers dealing with the recovery and interview of suspect drivers and any witnesses, a minimum of 2 officers to make the scene safe for other drivers approaching the accident and to protect those in and around it and an accident investigator. As you can see if they are patrolling alone to give the impression of more marked units on the streets, then there could quite easily be 6 units at the scene.
Police vehicle accidents have to be dealt with by the next senior rank in line or the one above him/her. If the driver is a PC then a Sgt deals (usually traffpol) if a Sgt was driving, then an Inspector must deal, Inspector means a Chief inspector or Supt etc.
>> Edited by madcop on Wednesday 27th August 20:16
madcop said:Presumably if a CC was driving, a CC from another force is required to attend? Or does the escalation top out at some point?
... Police vehicle accidents have to be dealt with by the next senior rank in line or the one above him/her. If the driver is a PC then a Sgt deals (usually traffpol) if a Sgt was driving, then an Inspector must deal, Inspector means a Chief inspector or Supt etc.
In 1973 a friend's father was stopped on New Year's Eve whilst driving in Glasgow. The Sergeant who stopped him became aggressive and assaulted my friend's father who defended himself and was arrested. At the police-station he informed the desk sergeant that he was a police officer (from another Scottish force) and could only be charged by an officer of senior rank. The desk sergeant offered to call the duty Inspector. "Sorry, not senior enough!". "Sh1t!" said the Sergeant, "The Chief Inspector is at a Hogmannay Ball." "Oh, there's no need to trouble him!" replied my friend's father. The Sergeant's attitude changed considerably at this point. "Er, do you know anyone senior enough on this force, SIR?" "Yes ... David McNee!" (Chief Constable, later Commissioner in the Met.) The Sergeant had just arrested Edinburgh's ACC! - Streaky
streaky said:
Presumably if a CC was driving, a CC from another force is required to attend? Or does the escalation top out at some point?
Chief officers do not usuually drive official cars themselves. They have drivers to do it for them, usually civilian, sometimes Police officers from Traffic Dept or driving instructors.
Accidents invovling Chief officers on official business usually find that a Traffic Sgt is capable of dealing with the problem.
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