A police officer has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a mum was killed when her vehicle was hit by an unmarked police car.
Heather Smedley, 53 died after the police vehicle – which was chasing a suspected stolen car in Royton, Oldham on 23 December 2022 – collided with her Peugeot 108.
Police constable Mark Burrows of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has been charged after the force referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The 45-year-old is set to appear at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
An IOPC spokesperson said Mr Burrows had been pursuing what was believed to be a stolen Audi at about 10:00 GMT in the unmarked police car.
During the chase, the police car collided with a Peugeot 108 being driven by Ms Smedley at the junction of Oldham Road and Otmoor Way.
The mother-of-three died at the scene despite the treatment from paramedics and the arrival of an air ambulance.
After her death, Mrs Smedley’s family paid tribute, in a statement released by GMP, to “the most kind, gentle, beautiful soul inside and out”.
The IOPC said its investigation, which began following a referral from the force in December 2022, ended in October 2023.
It said a file of evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for consideration of any potential criminal offence, and the CPS authorised the charge in February this year.
