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IOPC Clears Northumbria Police Over Sunderland Care Home Crash

The watchdog found responsibility for the collision rests solely with the fleeing driver.

Overview

  • The independent investigation, completed within five months, found no indication of criminality or misconduct by any officer.
  • Reviewers examined dashcam and body‑worn video plus incident and call logs, concluding officers acted in an exemplary manner.
  • Officers in an unmarked car pursued the stolen BMW for about four minutes, maintained a safe distance, backed off near a junction, and requested helicopter support.
  • The crash into Highcliffe Care Home caused major damage and injuries to residents, including a 94-year-old woman who suffered fractures to her neck and spine.
  • Driver Sam Asgari-Tabar was jailed for 68 months and passenger Reece Parish for 37 months, while a resident’s subsequent death was later ruled unrelated to the collision.