A tragic incident in Salford sees a 15-year-old e-bike rider die after colliding with an ambulance during a police chase
Salford: A heartbreaking event unfolded when a 15-year-old boy lost his life after his electric bike crashed into an ambulance. This happened right after police started following him on a residential street.
Saul Cookson was rushed to the hospital but sadly didn’t make it, despite the best efforts of the paramedics. It’s just so tragic.
During the inquest this Tuesday, it came to light that two officers from Greater Manchester Police were covertly following Saul before the accident. They mentioned that e-bikes are often linked to criminal activities, which is why they were keeping an eye on him.
The collision took place in Salford, and the jury is now trying to figure out if the police action should be seen as a “covert following” or an “initial pursuit.” This distinction is important because it could affect how the police’s actions are viewed.
Officer E7 explained that the type of electric motorcycle Saul was riding is often used in crimes, which made them feel the need to follow him. He noted that it was a hot day and Saul was dressed in black, which raised some suspicions.
There were flowers and tributes left for Saul at the scene, showing how much he was loved. The inquest is digging into what exactly counts as a police chase and who is allowed to engage in different levels of pursuit.
The officers talked about the stages of pursuit used by their department. They explained that there are different levels, starting from just keeping an eye on a vehicle to full-on pursuits.
Once a driver ignores a stop request, it can escalate to an initial pursuit, where more serious tactics can be used. Only specially trained officers can handle high-speed chases.
In court, Officer E7 mentioned that if they were actively pursuing a vehicle, they would call in officers trained for tactical pursuits to ensure safety.
Both officers claimed they didn’t see their actions as an initial pursuit since they hadn’t signaled Saul to stop. A lawyer for Saul’s family pressed Officer E7 about whether Saul’s glance back at the police car meant he knew he was being followed.
Officer E7 disagreed, saying that a pursuit only starts if the driver shows they won’t stop after being asked. He suggested that Saul should have stayed calm and not tried to evade them.
Officer D5, who was in the passenger seat, shared that he was distracted by checking details on another case when he suddenly saw Saul’s motorcycle in front of them.
CCTV footage showed the police car keeping pace with Saul as he turned onto different streets. The chase ended when the police car stopped at some bollards, but an ambulance came out of nowhere and collided with Saul.
The inquest is still ongoing, and it’s a tough situation for everyone involved.
