Elderly Motorist Terrified After Tyres Burst in Police “Sting”
By Katherine Clarkson
An elderly motorist was left petrified after her car tyres were burst by a police stinger when she got caught up in a dramatic motorway pursuit. on the M6.
The woman, in her 60s, had her tyres punctured by the device and was then boxed in by three police cars near junction 31 of the M6 at Preston.
Officers had been pursuing a suspected stolen Peugeot 306 when the woman was inadvertently caught up in the drama.
She was so shaken that she had to be driven home to Coniston, Cumbria, according to the report in the Lancashire Evening Post.
The part-time shop assistant had been travelling through Lancashire on her way home from visiting her daughter in Cheshire when the incident happened last weekend.
A work colleague of the woman said: “She was traumatised. She was literally shaking. They punctured her tyres with a stinger and she got boxed in by three police cars.
“They had to bring her home to Coniston because she was too upset to drive.”
He said Highways Agency staff took the woman’s car to a garage to have the punctured tyres mended. The Peugeot 306 had been spotted being driven erratically on the Kendal bypass and failed to stop for police.
Cumbria officers pursued the car until Lancashire police took over.
A Lancashire police spokesman said: “A member of the public’s vehicle was accidentally stung.
“It’s not a common occurrence – a risk assessment will be carried out before a stinger is deployed.
“It’s something we regret and can only apologise for any upset. Our priority is public safety.”
The pursuit was called off when the 306 entered Deepdale, because there were too many pedestrians around. The car was later found abandoned after the offenders made off.
Number: Z8037079
Reg: NKF419
