Investigation latest after teen killed in M4 police pursuit
Wiltshire Police officers were pursuing a Vauxhall Astra on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at around 10:50pm on the M4, which failed to stop and collided with a traffic island at the end of a slip road off the M4 at junction 15 near Swindon. Jamie Donnelly, an occupant in the Astra, died at the scene. Wiltshire Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to launch an independent investigation.
The IOPC established that, minutes prior to the collision, three police vehicles had unsuccessfully attempted to execute a controlled stop of the Astra through a boxing in manoeuvre on the M4. They continued pursuing the vehicle on the M4 eastbound with police vehicles operating their emergency lights and sirens. The Astra and one of the police vehicles exited the motorway at Junction 15, driving up the slip road at speed where both vehicles went through a red light at the end of the slip road, before they crashed into the traffic island.
Both officers in the police vehicle sustained minor injuries. The constable who was driving the police vehicle that crashed was notified that he would be under investigation for causing death by dangerous driving. Thames Valley Police is conducting a criminal investigation into the incident and a man who was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, who was released on bail.
A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police confirmed that there are no further updates at this stage. An IOPC spokesperson said: "There is no specific update we can give currently for this investigation, it remains ongoing." After the incident, IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell said: "We have been in contact with Jamie Donnelly's family to express our sympathy for their sad loss, and to explain how our investigation will be carried out.
Our investigation is at an early stage and is considering whether officers acted in accordance with local and national policies, and their training. "Following the conclusion of our investigation, we will decide whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service and we will also determine whether any disciplinary proceedings should follow for a police driver." Jamie's family described him as "a cheeky chappy, a very talented football[1] player and an all-round sports man."
They added: "Jamie will be sorely missed by all of his family and close friends."