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Girl 'hit by police car at 90mph' | Girl 'hit by police car at 90mph' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A Newcastle schoolgirl was hit by a police car which had accelerated to more than 90mph only seconds before, a court has heard. | A Newcastle schoolgirl was hit by a police car which had accelerated to more than 90mph only seconds before, a court has heard. |
Hayley Adamson, 16, was struck by the marked vehicle and killed instantly as she crossed Denton Road in the Scotswood area of the city in May 2008. | Hayley Adamson, 16, was struck by the marked vehicle and killed instantly as she crossed Denton Road in the Scotswood area of the city in May 2008. |
Pc John Dougal, 41, has denied causing death by dangerous driving. | Pc John Dougal, 41, has denied causing death by dangerous driving. |
Newcastle Crown Court was told the car's blue lights or siren had not been activated. | Newcastle Crown Court was told the car's blue lights or siren had not been activated. |
Mr Dougal was on patrol in the 30mph zone when his vehicle's automatic number plate recognition system alerted him to a passing car - indicating it could potentially be linked to a crime. | |
Hayley Adamson was due to sit a GCSE exam | Hayley Adamson was due to sit a GCSE exam |
He was attempting to catch up with the car when Hayley, of Cedar Road, Fenham, stepped into the road ahead of him. | He was attempting to catch up with the car when Hayley, of Cedar Road, Fenham, stepped into the road ahead of him. |
He braked and swerved but was unable to avoid hitting her. | He braked and swerved but was unable to avoid hitting her. |
Her family wept as the jury were shown CCTV footage of the incident. | |
Prosecutor Andrew Dallas described Pc Dougal's driving as a "grossly disproportionate" response to the situation. | |
"Driving at such an extreme speed at night in a residential area was highly dangerous," he said. | "Driving at such an extreme speed at night in a residential area was highly dangerous," he said. |
"It was even more dangerous to do so without using any of the specialist warning devices available to him. | "It was even more dangerous to do so without using any of the specialist warning devices available to him. |
"The speed and lack of warning by the driver not only represented dangerous driving but were also in any fair view significant causes of Hayley's tragic death that night." | "The speed and lack of warning by the driver not only represented dangerous driving but were also in any fair view significant causes of Hayley's tragic death that night." |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |