Imagine for a minute you’re a police officer and you’re in hot pursuit of a speeding BMW X6. Now imagine said suspect is headed towards a school bus full of kids. The most logical course of action would be to ensure those kids stay out of harms way, right? Well not if you’re a member of the Cumbria Police force.
Cops in the region asked the driver of a school bus, carrying roughly 50 kids, to position his vehicle across the road, blocking the path of the speeding car, The Mail reports. The 4×4 reportedly slowed down but crashed into the rear as it attempted to squeeze through a gap.
Amanda Daldry, 43, said her daughters Holly, 15, and Jessica, 13, were on the bus, which was carrying children home from primary and secondary schools.
“The kids were filled with adrenaline with what had happened. Excited would be the wrong word. They were agitated. The older ones realised what was happening,” she said.
“Depending on which side of the bus they were on, some of them saw the car approaching. They should not have used a school bus. What would they have done if some of the kids were seriously hurt?”
Amanda’s daughter Holly told The Mail: “At first I thought our driver was reversing to turn around but we were waiting for a few minutes and then there was this big thump. We didn’t see the car coming because we were on the other side.”
“The little kids started crying and thinking they were all going to die.”
Cumbria Police attempted to defend the actions of its officers by saying the speeding car was heading for a road beyond the bus which was packed with horses and schoolchildren. In a statement, they said they positioned the bus to slow the vehicle rather than stop it, leaving a space for the car to pass.
The incident is now being investigated by the local Police and Crime Commissioner.
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