Man, 39, is rushed to hospital with ‘potentially life-changing’ injuries and two women are arrested after BMW ‘driving away from police car’ crashed into his vehicle
- The incident took place on a busy dual carriageway in Croydon around midnight
- The Met says it has arrested two women on suspicion of dangerous driving
A man has been left with serious injuries after a BMW sped off from police before crashing into a second vehicle.
The Metropolitan Police is investigating after the incident in Addington, Croydon, at around midnight, and has informed the police watchdog.
The force says officers were on patrol when the BMW drove away from a marked police vehicle on Kent Gate Way, Addington, at 11.49pm.
It says shortly afterwards officers found the BMW had crashed into a Vauxhall Mokka on the A212 Gravel Hill.
A 39-year-old man who was driving the Vauxhall has been left with potentially life-changing injuries as a result of the crash, while two women from the BMW have been arrested.
A Metropolitan Police officer stands next to the wreckage of a car involved in the Monday morning incident
The car was heavily damaged in the crash, with fron end torn off and the carriage left resting on an embankment
Photos from the scene this morning show wreckage strewn across the dual carriageway, with two cars lying empty.
One, a silver Vauxhall, can be seen with its front end torn off and resting on an embankment, while a silver BMS can also be seen with serious damage to its front end.
The road has been closed to traffic in both directions while police investigate what happened.
A spokesperson for the Met said: ‘At approximately 23.49 hrs on Monday, March 13, on Kent Gate Way, Addington, Croydon, a BMW car drove off from a marked police unit on routine patrol.
‘A short time later the car was found having been in collision with another car on Gravel Hill A212, Addington.
‘A 39-year-old man, the sole occupant of the second car, a Vauxhall Mokka, was taken to St George’s Hospital, Tooting, with serious, potentially life changing injuries.
‘Two female occupants of the BMW car that drove off from police have been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. They have been taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
‘A crime scene is in place at Gravel Hill is currently closed.
‘As is routine in these incidents, the Directorate of Professional Standards and Independent Office for Police Conduct have been notified.’
The incident left two cars, a BMW and a Mokka, in ruins on Gravel Hill A212, Addington, Croydon
Police investigate the scene of the crash on Gravel Hill this morning after the road was closed in the early hours
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 11.50pm last night, March 13, to reports of a road traffic collision in Gravel Hill, New Addington.
‘We sent two ambulance crews, three paramedics in fast response cars, an advanced paramedic and an incident response officer to the scene.
‘We also dispatched a trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance, which consisted of a paramedic and a doctor in a car.
‘We treated three people at the scene – one of whom was very seriously injured – and took them to a major trauma centre as a priority.’
