An independent investigation report has found that police acted appropriately in their interaction with a man, who later died after his car collided with an articulated lorry.
During the early hours of 29 March 2020, officers saw the 36-year-old within an unlit car which was parked dangerously on the A1 dual carriageway in Edinburgh.
They carried out the necessary roadside checks, including a breath test which came back negative, to establish if the man was fit to drive and escorted him to a safe area in a carpark in Edinburgh, where they provided him with advice on safe driving. The man had said he was tired and would rest in his car before travelling any further to a relative’s house in Fife and the officers left.
About two hours later, police received a call advising that the man had died after the car he was driving collided with a stationary articulated lorry at Harthill Services on the M8 motorway, Harthill. CCTV showed the car did not slow down as it left the motorway for the service station before hitting a kerb and colliding with the lorry.
On 29 March 2020, Police Scotland referred the incident to the PIRC. The investigation found that the officers’ actions were appropriate and in accordance with police procedures. It is not known why the man did not slow down or take action to avoid colliding with the lorry.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
