Officer convicted after fatal crash during emergency response leaves one dead and another seriously injured
A police officer has been found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving after a fatal collision while responding to an emergency call.
PC Mark Roberts, 35, was convicted by a jury at Teesside Crown Court on 4 February 2026 of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The verdict followed a trial concerning a collision that occurred on 8 July 2022 in Gateshead.
The court heard that PC Roberts was driving a marked vehicle for Northumbria Police when he drove through a red traffic light at speed while responding to a Grade 1 emergency involving a baby who had stopped breathing. His vehicle collided with a motorcycle at a junction on Dunston Road.
The motorcycle was ridden by Ronald Pinkney, 77, with his wife, Muriel Pinkney, 74, travelling as a passenger. Mrs Pinkney sustained fatal injuries and died in the hospital nine days after the collision. Mr Pinkney suffered serious injuries, including broken ribs and a fractured leg.
Although PC Roberts had activated his blue lights and siren, the prosecution said he failed to negotiate two sets of red traffic lights safely. The second set controlled the junction where the collision occurred. Mr Pinkney had the right of way and a green signal when he entered the junction, but the motorcycle was struck by the police vehicle as it crossed.
The case was brought by the Crown Prosecution Service following an investigation conducted with the Independent Office for Police Conduct and Northumbria Police. Prosecutors presented dashcam footage from a witness vehicle and helmet camera footage from Mr Pinkney, both of which captured the moment of impact.
Forensic collision investigators calculated that PC Roberts was travelling at speeds of up to 49mph in a 30mph zone. Evidence showed that he failed to apply full emergency braking before the collision and did not adequately identify the motorcycle approaching the junction.
Gavin Hotchkiss, Specialist Prosecutor in the CPS Special Crime Division, said the incident was tragic and avoidable. He told the court that while PC Roberts was responding to an emergency, he still had a duty to drive with care and attention to the safety of others. The evidence demonstrated that he did not treat the red light as a stop or give way, as required by police training.
The prosecution argued that PC Roberts’ driving fell far below the standard expected of a competent and careful driver, meeting the threshold for offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988. Jurors accepted that his actions directly caused the fatal collision and the serious injuries sustained by Mr Pinkney.
PC Roberts, of Northumbria Police, was convicted of causing the death of Muriel Pinkney and causing serious injury to Ronald Pinkney.