29 Mar 2025
A motorist whose car was wrecked in a police high-speed chase has questioned whether officers were taking enough consideration of other road users.
Janet Ryan said the pursuit – which involved a couple of suspected burglars – saw four police cars travelling at excessive speeds around the busy Park Street roundabout.
The incident occurred at just before 6.30pm on Saturday March 8, and resulted in her vehicle suffering thousands of pounds in damage after it was hit by a stolen car being chased by police – the second vehicle to be damaged in the pursuit.
“We were stationery at the roundabout when we heard a bang, the car shook a bit and warning lights came on telling us not to drive the car.
“We sat stunned for sometime trying to make sense of it, and I phoned 999 to report that we had bit hit due to a high speed chase and the driver had left the scene of the accident.
“I made an official complaint about how risky the whole chase was and how the police had endangered the general public.
“At the time of the accident all three lanes at the exit to the roundabout were occupied, making a collision inevitable. The accident was a direct result of the pursued driver’s reckless actions, but also the decision to engage in a chase under such conditions.
“I challenge the decision to proceed with the pursuit despite obvious and significant dangers, and at the very least a welfare check should have been carried out within hours of the incident.
“Regardless of the suspects’ offences, public safety should never be compromised in this way. That they were house burglars makes it even more troubling that such extreme risks to life and limb and damage to vehicles costing thousands of pounds to rectify were taken.
“My expectation is that those arrested will now be bailed and likely leave the county, making the entire ordeal even more questionable.”
Janet made a formal complaint about the chase but was told the police acted appropriately throughout the pursuit and safety was paramount throughout.
She said: “There is an increased frequence of high speed chases in St Albans and the apparent dismissal of legitimate public safety concerns. While procedures exist to guide police response, it is deeply concerning that genuine safety risks are dismissed simply because procedures were followed. A box-ticking approach does not absolve officers of responsibility when their actions put the public at risk.
“My car has been repaired and I have paid an excess of £850. I don’t get to see the final repair cost as the insurers pay it but I do know my wing mirror cost £1,500 plus VAT and labour and the wheel cost £1,999 plus VAT and labour.
“There was also the paint and cost of labour which I don’t know but overall easily over £5K. More importantly for me though is the disregard of safety for the public.
“I have no expectation of recovering my costs and never did when I made the complaint. I genuinely believe their decision to pursue in the way did was reckless and they are lucky there was no loss of life as a result.”
A police spokesperson said: “At around 6pm on Saturday March 8, officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit were made aware of a vehicle on ANPR cameras that was suspected as being stolen and used in serious acquisitive crime.
“The vehicle made off from officers and a pursuit occurred for a prolonged distance. During this pursuit, contact was made, bringing the suspect’s vehicle to a stop.
“Two males were then arrested at the scene in connection with the incident. The investigation continues.
“Video footage of the police vehicle, body worn camera footage, officer accounts and helicopter footage is being reviewed to ensure our response was proportionate.”
