GMP officer jailed after Stockport crash which left boy with life-changing injuries
PC Sarah De Meulemeester was driving at double the speed limit when she hit Khia Whitehead in December 2020
Last updated 19th May 2023
A GMP officer has been jailed for two and a half years after a crash in Stockport which left a teenager with life-changing injuries.
PC Sarah De Meulemeester was responding to an emergency call when she hit Khia Whitehead, 15, as he was crossing the road on Garners Lane on Boxing Day 2020.
She hit speeds of 61mph before the collision, which happened on a 30mph road.
PC De Meulemeester, as a basic level police driver, was required to observe all speed limits.
Another officer who was responding to the call and was trained and authorised to drive above the speed limit overtook De Meulemeester's police car and switched on the emergency lights.
Speed data from the car showed that she initially slowed down to allow her colleague to overtake but then sped up again.
She ended up reaching speeds of more than double the limit.
The 26-year-old overtook a vehicle driven by a member of the public before going on the wrong side of a traffic island and hitting Khia.
He has suffered permanent brain injuries and now needs round-the-clock care.
De Meulemeester was found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court following a trial earlier this year.
She has also been disqualified from driving for two years.
Rosemary Ainslie, head of the Special Crime Division at the CPS, said:
"At the time of the collision, De Meulemeester was driving at excessive speed – more than 40mph just before impact – in a 30mph zone and was travelling on the wrong side of a ‘keep left’ traffic island in dark and wet conditions.
"The officer’s driving created an unacceptable risk and was the cause of this tragic collision, which had such devastating consequences for Khia, who was a young man with his whole life ahead of him.
"Our thoughts remain with Khia’s friends and family following this verdict."