A catastrophic police pursuit on the A1 that left seven Northumbria Police officers hospitalised may have resulted from a tactical containment manoeuvre that “went horribly wrong”, according to a former detective.
The high-speed incident, which occurred at approximately 2.30am on Wednesday (9 April), involved at least five police vehicles and a dark grey BMW M Sport. The collision took place between Junction 73 (Swalwell) and Junction 75 (Denton), Newcastle, leading to a full closure of the dual carriageway for over 12 hours.
A man and woman, both in their 20s, have been arrested. The man remains in custody on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The woman, initially arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting dangerous driving, has since been released with no further action.
Shocking images from the scene show four marked police cars with heavy damage, alongside an unmarked police vehicle flipped onto its side and wedged against the pursued BMW.
According to a retired police officer speaking anonymously, the incident may have stemmed from a tactical pursuit and containment (TPAC) operation gone wrong. “Something has gone horribly wrong here,” he said. “This could be a failed attempt to box the vehicle in, or possibly the result of a ram from the fleeing car. It’s an exceptionally serious event — one vehicle is nearly unrecognisable. Those involved are lucky to be alive.”
Emergency services, including fire crews and multiple ambulances, rushed to the scene. Five patients were taken to hospital. Of the seven officers injured, four have now been discharged. Two remain under observation, and one is undergoing treatment for a leg injury. The two occupants of the BMW were unharmed.
The pursuit began around 2.25am after the BMW failed to stop for officers in the Whickham area. Just two minutes later, the multi-vehicle collision occurred. Police sniffer dogs and forensic teams spent hours combing the scene, including inspecting a handbag and other belongings inside the BMW.
Residents described the aftermath as “absolute carnage”, with helicopters overhead and emergency vehicles flooding the area. Avril Smith, who lives near the A1, said: “I’ve lived here 27 years — I’ve never seen anything this bad. It was chaos.”
Another neighbour compared the scale of the response to the Raoul Moat manhunt of 2010. “The only major thing we remember here is when PC Rathband was shot. This was on that same stretch. It brings back memories,” they said.
Northumbria Police Superintendent Michelle Caisley stated:
“Firstly, we want to wish all the officers who have been involved in the collision a full recovery. An investigation is under way to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident, and we would urge anyone with information or dashcam footage to come forward.”
National Highways confirmed that the road was shut for most of the day due to the severity of the crash. By 3pm, the A1 had reopened in both directions.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has not received a referral regarding the incident at this stage.
Anyone with information or relevant dashcam footage is urged to contact Northumbria Police via 101 or the force’s website, quoting log number 40 of 09/04/25.
