WEST MERCIA Police has self-referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following a collision near the A449 at Fernhill Heath in Worcestershire earlier this week.
Shortly after 3am on Sunday morning (September 7), officers received an automated collision detection alert from a mobile phone. Officers attended the location provided by the alert but, despite a search, no vehicle was found. A further alert was received in the afternoon and additional searches were carried out in the daylight to no avail.
Around 3.55pm on Tuesday afternoon (September 9) a member of the public reported finding a car, a black Jaguar XF, off Hurst Lane. West Midlands Ambulance Service attended and sadly the driver of the car, a Kidderminster man in his 20s, was pronounced dead.
Ch Supt Gareth Morris said: “As is standard practice for all forces in circumstances such as this we have referred the matter to the IOPC.
“We understand the need and value in independent oversight and in giving the man’s family answers to what happened and what action we took.
“Our thoughts are with them.”
The force added it would continue to appeal to anyone who saw, or has dash cam footage of a vehicle matching this description in the area, from 3am Sunday morning.
Information can be given by emailing: [email protected]
