A 22-year-old woman who was killed after being hit by a police car in a Christmas Eve horror crash has been named by her family.
Rachael Louise Moore was struck at 8:10pm in the Kensington area of Liverpool and died from her injuries.
The tragedy comes after a 53-year-old mother was killed in a horrific crash with an unmarked police car in Oldham on Friday in a separate incident.
Rachael’s devastated family have paid tribute to their ‘cherished daughter’ and said in a statement: ‘Rachael Louise Moore aged 22, cherished daughter of Alison and Ian, sister to Ben and much loved granddaughter of Nana Sue.
‘Partner to Jack and caring friend to many. She will be greatly missed by all those whose lives she touched. The family requests their privacy be respected at this devastating time.’
Rachael Louise Moore (pictured) was struck at 8:10pm in the Kensington area of Liverpool and tragically died from her injuries
Emergency services were called to the scene on Sheil Road last night but Rachael was tragically pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is expected to investigate the collision.
Detective Sergeant Kurt Timpson from the MATRIX Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: ‘Following the death of Rachael we are providing assistance to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.
‘Our sincere and thoughts and condolences are with Rachael’s family who have been left devastated by this tragic incident. Specially trained family Liaison Officers are supporting them at this time.
‘I would like to appeal to anyone who witnessed this incident to please make contact with us as we try to piece together the circumstances. I would also like to ask anyone who has CCTV, Dashcam or Smart doorbell footage that may help us to please get in touch. As is standard procedure the incident was referred to the IOPC. The family requests their privacy be respected at this time.’
A police van and police tape cordons off Sheil Road in Kensington, Liverpool, last night after the incident
The woman in her 20s was hit by a police car at around 8.10pm on Christmas Eve. Pictured: A police car at the junction of the road
Other emergency services were called to the scene but sadly medics could not save the woman’s life
Witnesses at the scene told the Liverpool Echo that there was ‘a load of police’, with one saying they saw a woman hit by a car.
One person told the outlet: ‘It’s horrific. It’s Christmas Eve. Whatever it is is looks bad. It’s heartbreaking.’
Merseyside Police have asked that anyone who witnessed the collision or captured anything on CCTV or dashcam should contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on (0151) 777 5747, by email at [email protected] or via @MerPolCC on Twitter or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook, with reference 857 of Saturday 24 December.
In a separate incident on Friday, 53-year-old Heather Smedley died shortly after being hit by a police car.
The mother of three was taken to hospital following the ‘short pursuit’ in Oldham, Greater Manchester, but died from her injuries.
Heather Smedley, 53, died after she collided with a police vehicle which was chasing a suspected stolen vehicle through the streets of Oldham
A 53-year-old woman was killed during a police chase near Oldham. Pictured are officers at the scene
She was driving in her car and was critically injured when a police pursuit vehicle slammed into it.
In a statement released by Greater Manchester Police, her family have paid tribute to her, describing her as ‘wonderful’ and ‘the glue that held our family together’.
The fatal smash took in Shaw Road, Oldham, in Greater Manchester, on Friday morning. Police were scrambled at 10am to chase a suspected stolen vehicle.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said an unmarked police car and a ‘car driven by a member of the public’ crashed.
The IOPC said Heather suffered ‘serious injuries…and died in hospital later this morning’, and confirmed she was not in the vehicle police were pursuing.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage should contact Greater Manchester Police, quoting incident log 969 of 23/12/2022.
Information can be reported online or by using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk. If you can’t report online, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
In a separate incident on Christmas Eve, a woman in her 20s was killed in a shooting at a pub in Wallasey in Wirral.
A gunman opened fire at the packed Lighthouse Inn hitting a woman and at least three men, with a number of other people also injured.
The female victim was taken to hospital for her wounds but sadly died the same night.
Four men were left injured in the attack, including a 28-year-old who is fighting for his life in a critical condition.
Police say the shooter fled the scene in a dark coloured Mercedes and remains at large.
Anyone with information about the incident or gunman’s whereabouts is asked to contact authorities immediately.
Detective Superintendent David McCaughrean said the shooting happened at a ‘busy venue full of young people.’
Police are working to establish the motive and circumstances surrounding the shooting.
They do not believe the woman was the shooter’s intended target, but that the shooter fired towards the entrance of the building.
Officers have launched a manhunt for the shooter, who fled in a dark coloured Mercedes, while community members express shock that another incident of gun violence has struck in a village where ‘there’s never been any trouble or problems.’
