A POLICE car deliberately crashed into a vehicle driven by a suspected drug driver in Bridport to save pedestrians lives.

Dorset Police said they made a 'tactical manoeuvre' to collide with the car outside Peacocks on East Street yesterday afternoon.

 

One lane of East Street in #Bridport is blocked following a collision between a police car and a silver Rover. pic.twitter.com/qsb3KRsphM

— Liz Jackson (@DorsetEchoLiz) February 25, 2015

They said they did this because the driver was witnessed driving with part of the car up on the pavement, putting market-day visitors at risk.

East Street was partially blocked following the collision, and officers directed East-bound traffic via South Street.

Sgt. Dave Stroud from Dorset Police's traffic department, said: "At about 2.13pm a silver Rover car was circulated to police as being a drug driver.

"A short while later the vehicle was seen in East Street travelling towards the East Road roundabout, and at this time the nearside wheels on the Rover were on the pavement.

"Being market day in Bridport, there was a large number of pedestrians in the area.

"A traffic police vehicle travelling in the opposite direction saw the silver Rover and used a tactical manoeuvre to collide with the Rover at slow speed, bring it to a halt. Prior to that car being stopped it had collided with two vehicles."

"Neither the male driver of that car, the other occupant of that car, nor the police officer were injured in the incident, although the passenger of the car was checked over in an ambulance.

"A 34-year-old male has been arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drink or drugs."

He added: "Officers conducted a search of the vehicle. An investigation will now commence regarding the circumstances and a report will be published in due course.

"We would ask witnesses to the incident to contact PC Stuart Smith of Weymouth's traffic department on 101."

A spokesperson for South West Ambulance Service said: "We were called to the scene at East Street, Bridport at 2.17pm.

"We are treating one casualty - a 34-year-old man, who had a chest injury."

A spokesperson for Dorset Police confirmed the silver Rover collided with two cars prior to the collision with the police vehicle.

They said: "The two cars involved in the earlier collisions were a black Fiat 500 registered to a Bridport address, and a turquoise Suzuki Swift registered to a Portland address. The silver Rover was registered to a Lyme Regis address."

Bridport resident Gemma Gaylard, 20, said: "I was down at the bottom of East Street when I saw the flashing lights, so I started to walk up. I got told that the man who was arrested was in his pyjamas and had put the wrong shoes on, and he was driving when the police just crashed into him.

She said: "It's pretty shocking, I don't know how people can do it in broad daylight when there's kids around.

"You don't expect this in a small town. All these incidents make you feel unsafe.

"I think we need more officers down here to be honest - not just in cars but on foot as well - because there are all these officers from Weymouth who had to come down today, not Bridport. "

Lawrence Norman, 22, who runs The West Country Higgler in a stall on the pavement in East Street and witnessed the crash, said: "The police car quite simply crashed into the other vehicle. As soon as it stopped, the officer jumped out, dragged the man out and put him in handcuffs. I do recognise the driver.

"It's obviously a concern for market traders as they are putting pedestrians and traders lives at risk.