Coroner Rules 'roadblock' Deaths An Accident

A coroner’s inquest has ruled that the death of a driver and his passenger, who were killed when their speeding seven-seater crashed into a makeshift police roadblock in February 2018, was an accident.

But the force has been told to consider reminding officers that internal rules say they must not block traffic when intercepting vehicles.

The coroner’s court suggested regular training courses for officers to refresh their memory on internal rules, and to make it mandatory for officers to ask their superiors for instructions when intercepting vehicles.

The force had come under heavy criticism after an officer was said to have told at least three vehicles to stop on Fanling Highway and used them as a "human shield", when colleagues told him to stop a speeding vehicle.

The seven-seater's driver and passenger died when their car crashed into the roadblock.

Three people in the other vehicles were injured, and the officer also spent three days in hospital.

He admitted during the coroner's inquest that he had forgotten the internal guidelines which forbid officers from blocking traffic when intercepting vehicles.