Officer’s horror after estate traffic accident

Officer’s horror after estate traffic accident

3 February 2016

A POLICE officer accused of causing grievous bodily injury by careless driving said his “life turned upside down” when he realised what had happened.

Police constable John Wright (42) told an investigating officer that his mind went into “complete meltdown” when he opened his police car door to see a man lying under his vehicle.

He said he opened the door after noticing  a bump as he reversed a police vehicle to make way for a fire appliance during a major incident at Meadowlands estate in Downpatrick on the evening of August 31, 2014.

Downpatrick Court heard yesterday that police were called to Meadowlands following reports that a male brandishing sharp knives was threatening to harm himself and others. The incident escalated when the male started a fire in his property, prompting the evacuation of nearby houses.

It was one of those evacuated residents, Gary Smyth, who became injured by Wright during this reversing manoeuvre in a parking area.

In a police interview read in court yesterday, Wright said he panicked when he realised there was a person under his car.

He said there was so much commotion in the area, due to the fire and rescue effort that nobody heard his first cries for help.

Mr Smyth managed to free himself from under the police car, while Wright administered first aid treatment to him.

“My life just turned upside down immediately,” he said.

“At no stage up until I opened the police vehicle was I aware Mr Smyth was there.”

He said he was very keen to contact Mr Smyth after the accident because of his shock and concern that he had caused him injuries, which included several fractures.

Describing the incident as a “terrible accident”, Wright told the investigating officer that visibility was very poor, which may have been aggravated by protective pillars and armoured plates on the police car.

“Obviously, just to be very clear, it was a dark, dark night, there had been torrential rain beforehand and there was a lot of smoke,” he said. “In my mind, I was careful and competent.”

The court also heard evidence from the police sergeant responsible for overseeing the Meadowlands incident on August 31.

She confirmed she had seen Mr Smyth before the accident when he had attempted to go past the burning building more than once.

She said she had the impression Mr Smyth, who admitted he had been drinking that day and had been awoken from sleep to evacuate his property, did not “know what was going on.”

“I found it hard to believe somebody would try to walk past the house that was fully ablaze at that time,” she said.

The case is expected to finish later today.