Pc walks from court after crash investigation error
A policeman accused of killing a woman in his van when responding to a 999 call walked free from court because of a mistake by accident investigators.
Pc John Hannan, 32, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving after his response vehicle ploughed into a Seat Ibiza on 28 June 2008 in Eccles, near Salford.
Angela Purcell, 38, of Swinton, was sitting in the back of the car and not wearing a seat belt. She died from multiple injuries.
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Hide AdHer brother, Peter Purcell, who was driving, and his young daughter Darla, escaped with minor injuries.
The prosecution collapsed this week when it emerged crash investigators reconstructed the collision using the wrong vehicles.
Rather than using a similar van, a Vauxhall Vectra car was used to determine the Pc's speed.