On-duty policeman is killed after his motorbike smashed into a car during high-speed pursuit
- Unnamed traffic police officer, 40, died after his motorbike smashed into car
- The officer was flung 15ft into the air when a car pulled out in front of him
- He had been chasing a suspect silver BMW which failed to stop at the scene
A police officer has died after he was hurled 15ft into the air when his motorcycle smashed into a car during a high speed pursuit.
A witness who would only give his first name, Jack, 48, said it was ‘like a dream’ and he heard a ‘huge bang’ 150ft in front of him on a road in the Ecclesfield area of Sheffield at 1pm today.
The as-yet-unnamed traffic cop, 40, died shortly after the crash despite receiving CPR from paramedics.
He had spotted a suspect silver BMW while on a routine patrol and was following the vehicle, which had earlier failed to stop when asked to by police enforcing lockdown, at the time of the accident.
An unnamed traffic officer, 40, died after his motorcycle crashed into the side of a car (pictured) on a road in the Ecclesfield area of Sheffield at 1pm today
A blue Toyota Avenis, driven by a 59-year-old man, was turning right into a road by a local park when the police officer careered into the side of the car.
Jack said: ‘I was coming the other way and I was about 150 yards behind the car, which was turning right.
‘I spotted a motorbike which had its flashing sirens on and it was going at quite a high speed and I believe he was on a shout.
‘There was a huge bang and the motorbike just jumped into the air and flipped.’
He revealed the officer was hurled five metres above the cars before landing unconscious on the tarmac.
‘I didn’t try to touch him because I was worried about spinal injuries and when police arrived an officer care to try and speak to him,’ he said.
‘I thought it was a dream. It was like a movie and I was not prepared for what I witnessed.
‘I’ve experienced anything like this in my life.’
The car being chased failed to stop after the accident and drove off, according to those at the scene.
A witness who would only give his first name, Jack, 48, said it was ‘like a dream’ and he heard a ‘huge bang’ 150ft in front of him. Police cordoned off the area (pictured)
Paramedics were seen performing emergency life-saving procedures on the downed emergency worker.
The casualty was loaded into an ambulance which was then escorted by police who blue lighted the convoy to hospital.
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: ‘A marked police motorcycle was responding to an incident at around 1pm this afternoon (21 April) when it was in collision with a blue Toyota Avensis in the Ecclesfield area of Sheffield.
‘The police vehicle was responding to reports of a silver BMW failing to stop for officers.
‘The 40-year-old police officer who was on the bike, was sadly pronounced dead a short time after the collision.’
South Yorkshire Police cordoned off the area for a forensic examination.
The spokesman revealed the driver of the Toyota is currently in hospital with minor injuries.