Cleveland Police officer cleared of driving charge after Marske crash

A police officer has been cleared of driving without due care and attention after a crash which left two teenagers seriously hurt.

PC David French, of Cleveland Police, was charged after a police van and a Vauxhall Corsa collided in Marske, on Teesside, in May 2022.

PC French, 38, who denied the charge at an earlier hearing, was found not guilty at Teesside Magistrates' Court.

Cleveland Police said the officer would still face misconduct proceedings.

The 38-year-old officer had been charged by the Crown Prosecution Service following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

In a statement released following the verdict, the IOPC said its probe had included reviewing bodyworn video from PC French and another officer who had been in the police van.

The crash happened as the pair were driving away after responding to a report of an abandoned quad bike in Grewgrass Lane in the early hours of 22 May.

The IOPC said PC French provided an initial account in which he said the police van was stationary when the collision happened.

However, the watchdog said he later revealed the vehicle had pulled out on to the road before the crash with the Corsa, which injured a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man.

The IOPC said that while the court found the crash resulted from PC French being distracted, it ruled his actions did not reach the criminal standard of proof.

IOPC regional director Emily Barry said the incident had "a profound impact on the lives" of the teenagers and their families and was "something they will have to live with for many years to come".

She added: "Given the seriousness of the allegation, it was right for the evidence to be tested in a public court."

The IOPC also said it found PC French had a case to answer for gross misconduct in relation to his driving ahead of the crash and Cleveland Police confirmed the outcome of any disciplinary process would be "communicated at the appropriate time."

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