Police officer who crashed into cyclist was driving on wrong side of the road, watchdog confirms

A police officer who crashed into a cyclist, seriously injuring them, was driving on the wrong side of the road at the time of the collision, a police watchdog has confirmed.

The crash, which led to the cyclist being treated for “non-life-threatening” injuries at a major trauma centre, took place on Wednesday 17 January at around 10.30pm, on London’s Bethnal Green Road, close to the junction with the A107 – the same stretch of road where a teenage girl was also struck by the driver of a police van at the start of January.

According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), last Wednesday’s collision occurred as a police officer was responding to an emergency call and driving on the wrong side of the road, where they hit a 36-year-old cyclist, who smashed into the vehicle’s windscreen.

The injured cyclist was treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to hospital, while the officer’s vehicle and windscreen were seriously damaged by the force of the collision.

“We can confirm that we have received a mandatory referral from the Metropolitan Police Service following a road traffic incident involving a marked police car and a cyclist in Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 on Wednesday 17 January,” an IPOC spokesperson told This is Local London.

“The collision took place at around 10.30pm when the car was responding to an emergency call and was driving on the wrong side of the road.

“The cyclist was given first aid at the scene and taken to hospital where they were diagnosed with non-life-changing or non-life-threatening injuries.

“We are currently assessing the referral to determine what further action may be required from us.”

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Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed to road.cc that enquiries are ongoing as part of an investigation into the crash.

“Officers alongside paramedics from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) attended the scene, the 36-year-old man’s injuries were assessed and were confirmed as non-life-threatening or changing,” the spokesperson said.

“Enquiries into the circumstances of the collision are on-going. The Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed.”