0:00:02 > 0:00:04HE KNOCKS
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Getting to the truth is rarely straightforward.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10It seems strange. Are these all your customers in here?
0:00:10 > 0:00:14This guy owes you money and you're driving his car around?
0:00:14 > 0:00:16SHOUTING
0:00:18 > 0:00:20HEAVY BREATHING
0:00:20 > 0:00:24- Sometimes the cops have a simple choice.- Just get an ambulance.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Will you not take me to Greenfield Lane to see my daughter?
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- I really can't.- Can you go into the left lane, so I can see her?
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Other times, they have to make difficult decisions.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41It puts us in a massive... a massive predicament, to be fair.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Because on the roads, the stakes are high.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48That car's come across that carriageway into the front of us.
0:00:48 > 0:00:54- Suddenly, there's two headlights in front of me. There's nowhere to go, is there?- No.
0:00:54 > 0:01:00This is a very, very rare accident on the expressway when somebody actually has a head-on.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04But we don't know why it's happened. We can only make assumptions.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10There is always a good chance of fatalities for any collision that occurs on the motorway.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14When things do go wrong, then they can go seriously wrong.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40It's 7pm and Birmingham's rush-hour traffic
0:01:40 > 0:01:43has been brought to a standstill.
0:01:43 > 0:01:49PCs Jess Davies and Al Colman are fighting through it to get to an accident on the Aston Expressway.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52When we started approaching the scene,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56there was just nowhere to go. We were struggling
0:01:56 > 0:02:00to make our way through traffic. It was just a sea of red lights.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03This two-mile stretch of motorway is unusual
0:02:03 > 0:02:08because there is no central barrier separating the opposing carriageways,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10but there is a no-go buffer lane.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15The reason the buffer lane changes day to day is for what they call the tidal flow,
0:02:15 > 0:02:21so in the morning, you have more lanes opening into the city for rush-hour traffic,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and the opposite on the evening.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27That's why there's no central barrier.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30But no central barrier means that a head-on collision
0:02:30 > 0:02:33between the fast-moving traffic is much more likely.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37And as they arrive, the motorway cops fear the worst.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39It's a massive scene.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41It's looking serious at the moment.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44I don't know the ins and outs of injuries.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48The multiple pile-up involves a BMW,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51a Mini and a Jaguar.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56When I saw both the Jaguar and the Mini, both those cars were extensively damaged.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00It was quite clear that there had been a head-on collision.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04I thought there would be a number of fatalities from both vehicles.
0:03:04 > 0:03:11The fire crews are preparing to cut out two injured passengers who are trapped in the wreck of the Jaguar.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Two people in the Mini have already been freed, but the news isn't good.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17They're both in the ambulance now.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21We've also been informed that one of the females within the Mini...
0:03:22 > 0:03:27It's looking like it could turn into a fatality.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32It hasn't at the moment, but there's a potential. She's a very elderly female.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37A passenger from the BMW is also injured, but fortunately, it's not serious
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and Al's giving what assistance he can.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45- Do you feel any pain anywhere? - My shoulder and my arm. And my head is pounding.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50- Can you wiggle your fingers?- I can, this one. This one's hard to move.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- It's quite hard to do. Feel that?- No.- No?
0:03:53 > 0:03:56I'll just have a little look, all right?
0:03:56 > 0:04:01- Can you recall whether your arm was hit at all?- I don't remember. - You don't remember.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07She says she's got numbness down the back of her neck. She can't wiggle her fingers very well on this arm.
0:04:07 > 0:04:13But she's in a comfortable position. Can't feel her toes, which is probably cold. She's a bit in shock.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18While Al briefs the paramedic, Jess begins the investigation into what happened.
0:04:18 > 0:04:24- Are you a witness?- I'm the driver of the car.- Has anyone taken your details?- The gentleman has, yeah.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- That's your car there?- Yeah.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32The roof of the man's Jaguar has now been cut away by the fire crews,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36so they can try to free the injured back-seat passengers.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43- That car's come across that carriageway into the front of us. - What, the Mini has?- Yeah.
0:04:43 > 0:04:48- So the Mini was the one driving the wrong way?- Yeah. We were in the middle lane.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53- Suddenly, there's two headlights in front of me. There's just nowhere to go, is there?- No.
0:04:53 > 0:05:00It seems that the Mini has veered right across the buffer lane into the opposite carriageway.
0:05:00 > 0:05:06The Aston Expressway is a safe motorway, more than likely because the speed limit is 50 miles per hour
0:05:06 > 0:05:09and they have that buffer lane in the middle.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Even at 50 miles an hour, a head-on crash is highly dangerous
0:05:13 > 0:05:16despite having cars with modern crash protection.
0:05:16 > 0:05:22Your seat belts and your restraint systems may hold you in the car, your body physically,
0:05:22 > 0:05:27but the problem that you have, everything else keeps moving inside your body
0:05:27 > 0:05:32and to survive an accident like that is quite rare.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35The driver of the BMW has been lucky to escape injury.
0:05:35 > 0:05:41He is being breathalysed as a precaution, but so far it doesn't appear he is to blame.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45I think the back end swung round as he hit the car head-on
0:05:45 > 0:05:47and we went straight into him.
0:05:47 > 0:05:54While the injured woman from his car is taken to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone,
0:05:54 > 0:05:59the fire crew are still battling to free the two passengers trapped inside the Jaguar.
0:05:59 > 0:06:05I get really worried about people. We're human beings just like everybody else.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08You can see people who are in terrible pain.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12You see other casualties where you start to think,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15"I don't even know if they're going to survive this."
0:06:16 > 0:06:2315 miles south, motorway cops John Martin and Jim Alcock are responding to another emergency.
0:06:23 > 0:06:29We're going to a report of a car crash, a road traffic collision,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33on the entry slip at Junction 7 of the M5 North.
0:06:33 > 0:06:40The report at the moment is one of the drivers may be out of the vehicle with a head wound,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43lying on the actual carriageway.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46There is always a good chance
0:06:46 > 0:06:49of serious injuries and fatalities for any collision
0:06:49 > 0:06:51that occurs on the motorway.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55When things do go wrong, then they can go seriously wrong.
0:06:55 > 0:07:01A Highways Agency patrolman has already arrived, but there's no sign of any ambulance.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- Is the blood wagon en route?- They're en route. It's been ages.- OK.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07She's down there, Sophie, she's 21.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11- Yeah.- Got no known illnesses that we're aware of.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13The gentleman there is your witness.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18- Struck the barrier on the offside, came to rest here, got out...- Yeah.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22- Fell over the barrier and has just vomited blood.- OK, mate.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28The cops are trained to give basic medical aid, but her illness needs far more sophisticated treatment.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Hello, Sophie. It's the police.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34There's quite a bit of blood there. Can you hear me all right?
0:07:41 > 0:07:45You never like to see any person in discomfort and distress.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Part of you always feels a bit helpless
0:07:47 > 0:07:52because you want to help that person to try and get them up and about and make them better,
0:07:52 > 0:07:57but you're just unable to do so. You just have to wait until the medical crews get there.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Mike Alpha, one-three.
0:08:01 > 0:08:07Have you got any time on when the ambulance is going to get here? Over.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09I'm no doctor, but that don't look right.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13A driver following behind saw the crash and came to her aid.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39Despite her sudden illness, she's managed to steer across the lanes of fast-moving traffic.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44She'd come off the motorway on to the exit slip. She'd first collided
0:08:44 > 0:08:47with the right-hand barrier.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51She'd then been pinballed and bounced back towards the left-hand barrier.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56If she'd passed out on the main carriageway, the result could have been very different.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59It was just potentially a recipe for disaster.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04Vehicles start to brake and then people don't react in time
0:09:04 > 0:09:07and bosh, you've got a multiple vehicle collision.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Her quick thinking probably avoided a major crash,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14but she's barely conscious and still in danger.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Fortunately, the anxious wait for the paramedics is over.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23It's a weight off your mind when the ambulance or the paramedic or any medical help turn up.
0:09:23 > 0:09:29It's their profession. They know what to look for, they know what to test for.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Hello, Sophie.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36No cuts, wounds, anything that I can see. She's as pale as a ghost.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40She's got low blood pressure, so they've put her back down.
0:09:40 > 0:09:46- Blood out of the stomach, presumably she's vomited?- Yeah.- That doesn't sound good. A bleeding stomach?- No.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50While the paramedics work to bring her round,
0:09:50 > 0:09:56the cops are trying to find any information that could help them to treat her.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01She's had a road traffic collision, but we don't know whether it's down to something that she's taken.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05A search of her belongings could give them a lead.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Just looking inside the vehicle.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13The paramedics are very concerned with the amount of blood that's been brought up by the young girl.
0:10:13 > 0:10:19Just in case there's medicine in the car which could indicate what she might be suffering from.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21But there's nothing that I can see.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26- Nothing in the car, tablets or anything like that?- No, just been through there - nothing.
0:10:26 > 0:10:33- There isn't a smell of booze or anything?- No, nothing. She's a bit of a horsey type by the looks of it.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37I'd noticed that she'd got horse-riding boots on and also jodhpurs.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41At that point, I thought, "Has a bang on the head occurred?"
0:10:41 > 0:10:46- There's no marks on the helmet or anything, is there?- No.- No mud?
0:10:46 > 0:10:52We just offer any support we can and if it means standing there like a tree holding something,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56that's what we do, and if it means a life is saved or helped in that way,
0:10:56 > 0:11:01then I'm sure we can put up with the pain of holding one of those up for a short while.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06Her condition is now stable, but the reason for her sudden illness is still unknown.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09We'll try and get her back over the crash barrier
0:11:09 > 0:11:14and into the back of an ambulance and down to Worcester tout de suite.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Sophie, how are you feeling?
0:11:24 > 0:11:28She'll be rushed to Worcester Hospital only three miles away
0:11:28 > 0:11:32where the doctors will carry out a full diagnosis and treatment.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Thanks a lot.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42130 miles north, PCs Mick Roffe and Jim Duffy
0:11:42 > 0:11:47of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Road Crime Team are out on patrol.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51In Yorkshire, the night shift has a different set of challenges.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55I prefer working at night because there's fewer people on the roads,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59but there's a lot of criminals because they do their business
0:11:59 > 0:12:02at that time of night, so they're much easier to spot.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06The people in the green car they're passing now will be given a once-over.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11There's three lads in quite an old, beaten-up car.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15It's worth having a chat. They might not be doing anything wrong.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Have a stop, have a chat and just see who they are and what they're about.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Are you all right, mate? How are you doing?
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Just put t'keys out for us. Nice one.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34- Is it your car, mate?- No. - Whose is it?- It's my friend's here. - Your friend's there?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Right, so it's his car and you're insured to drive this?
0:12:38 > 0:12:43- He's had a bit to drink, so I'm just dropping him off at his house. - So you're not insured?
0:12:43 > 0:12:46It looks like an open-and-shut case,
0:12:46 > 0:12:51but it's the back-seat passenger who is making this stop more than just routine.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57- What's up with your mate here? - I don't know. I think he's had a bit to drink.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02Have you owt on you you shouldn't have? Put these on, mate. Put these on.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05He's acting funny, mate, isn't he?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08He's acting well off, isn't he?
0:13:08 > 0:13:12So you just sit tight there and keep your hands where we can see 'em.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14What's up with this lad back here?
0:13:14 > 0:13:19He's not in trouble. Just tell us what he's taken. He's taken something.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27HE STARTS SHOUTING
0:13:29 > 0:13:32- Calm him down, will you? - Just tell him to relax.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- Just tell him to calm down. - There's nowt to worry about.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41- You're acting like that. That's why you've got the handcuffs on. - Has he took summat?
0:13:41 > 0:13:45- He's been drinking.- Drinking what? - Alcohol.- Lighter fluid?
0:13:46 > 0:13:49I was worried because of the way he was behaving.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52The signs and symptoms were...
0:13:52 > 0:13:58He was behaving completely irrationally, completely... incoherent almost.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01But the two guys in the front thought it was amusing.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Jim and Mick, however, aren't laughing.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09Lads, you're being detained for the purposes of a drugs search at this time, all right?
0:14:09 > 0:14:14- He's took summat, hasn't he? He has took summat, lads. - He's been drinking.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- It's not just drink, is it? - I'm not sure.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- He needs some fresh air. - Are you all right?
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Pal, what's up with you? Have you got asthma?
0:14:24 > 0:14:27What's that you're spitting out?
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Is that blood?
0:14:31 > 0:14:34What have you taken, my friend?
0:14:34 > 0:14:37A search of his pockets could provide an answer.
0:14:37 > 0:14:44Mick has already found some cannabis on the front-seat passenger, so now everyone is under suspicion.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Just put your hands out for us, pal.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51I'll just handcuff you because you're detained for the purposes of a search.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55And seeing as your pal here has got a bit of a green on him,
0:14:55 > 0:15:00and obviously the lad in t'back looks like he's eaten a field of magic mushrooms,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03we'll just handcuff you, all right?
0:15:03 > 0:15:07- I've got a bag of weed on me. - You've got a bag of weed. No bother.
0:15:07 > 0:15:13- Keep your hands where we can see 'em and we'll get that sorted. Are you known for drugs?- Before I was, yeah.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16When were you last dealt with for drugs?
0:15:16 > 0:15:20I've been in prison for juveniles about five years ago now.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Five years ago. What was that for?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Possession of Class A and supply.
0:15:26 > 0:15:32- Supply. But for five years, you've got nothing to do with drugs?- Nothing to do with drugs in five years.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Until now.
0:15:34 > 0:15:40It's a small amount of cannabis - enough for a street caution for possession.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43- Any more?- No, no more.
0:15:44 > 0:15:50The cops frequently encounter those who have had one too many, but this is a trickier problem.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54It's not asthma. He's been trying to make himself sick by coughing.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57We have to make a decision - why is he acting like this?
0:15:57 > 0:16:02If you called an ambulance for everyone that was drunk, they'd run out of ambulances.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05He's making himself sick. That's what he's doing.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10- Do you want to go to his house? - No, I don't want to go to his house.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13- Kick him in the face. - That isn't going to help him.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- Stand still. - HE BREATHES HEAVILY
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Do you understand English?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- No.- No.- My house...
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- My house...- No. You wait here, mate, all right?
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Just wait here, OK?
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Drink. Yeah, drink.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Drink, yeah? No drink. No like drink.
0:16:38 > 0:16:44While the cops decide whether the man requires medical attention or is simply off his face...
0:16:45 > 0:16:48..on the Aston Expressway in Birmingham,
0:16:48 > 0:16:54the two injured passengers have finally been removed from the wreck of the Jaguar.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06In my experience, I've been on the motorway for ten years or so...
0:17:06 > 0:17:11It's one of the worst scenes I've seen on the Expressway, so...
0:17:12 > 0:17:18People say it's always going to happen on the Expressway because there's no central reservation.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23It's a very, very rare accident on the Expressway where somebody has a head-on.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Inspector Mark Fullwood is in charge of the crash scene
0:17:27 > 0:17:33and has been waiting for news of the critically injured woman who was rushed to hospital over an hour ago.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37I've just received an update from my officers at the hospital.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Unfortunately, the female passenger from the Mini,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44she was rushed into theatre.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Unfortunately, she has passed away.
0:17:48 > 0:17:55So, now, we are treating this as a fatal collision investigation.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00And we'll do our utmost to find out the cause of the collision.
0:18:00 > 0:18:06The scene will now be preserved until a collision investigation team has gathered enough evidence
0:18:06 > 0:18:09to enable them to work out the sequence of events.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14Witness accounts and photographs will be used to build a picture of just what happened.
0:18:14 > 0:18:20The investigation will be helped by the roadside cameras which have caught the whole incident on tape.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24As the Mini crosses the buffer lane, one driver has time to avoid it,
0:18:24 > 0:18:29but the Jaguar driver has no chance to react as the Mini heads directly towards him.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37The Jaguar was being driven by Paul Hills.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41It was quite busy, but traffic was moving well into town.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43And suddenly, this car appeared.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47The last thing I saw was two headlights and that was it.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51We couldn't go left. I didn't have time to brake or do anything.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55We just took the impact. Bang, and that was it!
0:18:55 > 0:18:59The evidence from the CCTV is crucial
0:18:59 > 0:19:05because it reveals that at no point do the Mini's brake lights come on.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08So it appeared that she hadn't even attempted to brake.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The first thing you do in any sort of...
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Your first natural instinct is to slam on the brakes.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21So we just couldn't begin to imagine
0:19:21 > 0:19:24why the driver hadn't done that.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27One possibility is mechanical failure,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31but only by examining the wreckage can the cops hope to find out.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36And as the investigation continues into the night, more news comes in.
0:19:37 > 0:19:44It appears from our latest update that the lady who has died is the mother of the driver.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50I just felt really, really terrible for that female...
0:19:51 > 0:19:55..because she's lost her mum
0:19:55 > 0:20:00and she's lost her mum in a situation where she was in control of that vehicle,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02behind the wheel of that vehicle.
0:20:09 > 0:20:15Back in Leeds, Mick Roffe and Jim Duffy are still trying to deal with the man who's acting strangely.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20They don't think there's a medical emergency, but they can't take any chances.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Listen to me. Calm down.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24- BREATHES HEAVILY - Calm down.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Jim, just get an ambulance.
0:20:30 > 0:20:36This guy was getting worse and worse as it went on, so we had to call an ambulance at that point.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41That male I just passed to you, he's having some sort of episode.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45He appears to be struggling for breath slightly.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Come take a seat here for us.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Nice one, pal.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Right, we'll deal with the rest.
0:20:51 > 0:20:57With the situation seemingly under control, Jim is free to deal with the driver's motoring offence.
0:20:57 > 0:21:03- In regards to your "no insurance", how many points are you on?- How many points? In 2008, I'm not sure...
0:21:03 > 0:21:08But now his mate in the back has made a remarkable recovery.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10- Jim! Jim!- Yeah?
0:21:12 > 0:21:17I don't need to run. I've got a car to drive, whereas Jim is much leaner
0:21:17 > 0:21:22and faster than me, so you play to your attributes and your skills.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27One-seven, I've got an officer chasing on foot after a male. Can you see who's in the area?
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Mick is definitely the man that you want driving the car,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35not the man you want sprinting after the person that's run off from you.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39He's, um... He's not built for running.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41He's going to kill me!
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- POLICE RADIO: - 'Are you able to assist?'
0:21:46 > 0:21:49It's one of them things that you never, ever want to happen,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51but in this case, in fairness to us,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55there was never any indication that he wanted to run.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59As he's not under arrest, it's not illegal to run from the police,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03but the man's actions aren't helping the cops.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06It's this lad who's having some kind of mental episode.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Is there an ambulance still coming to us? What were all that about?
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- Just be careful.- 'Do you still require another unit?'
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Look, look, what is all this carrying on?
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Yeah, get us a van. We'll have to bring him in.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24SHOUTING
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Listen, listen, listen.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29SHOUTING CONTINUES Relax. Relax.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34He's clearly under the influence of something, but what?
0:22:34 > 0:22:39Has he taken something that we need to know about because he's behaving...?
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- It ain't just cannabis, is it? - MAN CONTINUES SHOUTING
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- That's it, just cannabis? - That's it.- Nowt else?
0:22:45 > 0:22:47What's up...?
0:22:47 > 0:22:50It's a light weight, isn't it?
0:22:50 > 0:22:56- How much has he had to drink?- He's had two bottles of Jack Daniel's. - Two bottles of Jack Daniel's?
0:22:56 > 0:22:59SHOUTING CONTINUES
0:22:59 > 0:23:04- BLEEP- up, man! - While you've got gloves on, just go through his pockets again.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Mick has found something which could explain his bizarre behaviour.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11What's this, mate?
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Is it... Is it...
0:23:20 > 0:23:22- Magic mushrooms?- Magic mushrooms?
0:23:22 > 0:23:28- I said he'd eaten a field of magic mushrooms! - That explains a lot, doesn't it?
0:23:28 > 0:23:30It does.
0:23:30 > 0:23:36Judging by his behaviour, some kind of magic mushrooms, dried mushrooms or summat?
0:23:36 > 0:23:40When I asked you, has he took owt, has he took some of these? What is it?
0:23:40 > 0:23:45- I don't know how to explain that. How do you explain them?- Betel nuts?
0:23:45 > 0:23:47We have that in our tradition.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Betel nuts, they said it was.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56It looks like he's got the remnants of magic mushrooms, then he's just taken off.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01That's got to be some kind of herbal...hallucinogen, the way he's behaving.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03HEAVY BREATHING
0:24:03 > 0:24:07- It looks like dried mushrooms, doesn't it?- It does, yeah.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Does anyone know about this? Will it go in two hours...?
0:24:11 > 0:24:15The cops will establish later whether to charge him or not.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20For now, the priority is to get him to hospital, leaving Mick free to deal with the insurance issue.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25One-seven, this Mazda that these three lads have been in which has caused us this grief,
0:24:25 > 0:24:30- we're seizing it under "no insurance". Could you put a log on for us?- It is insured.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35- Not when he's driving. - But it's still insured. The car's insured.- It matters not.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40- You can't take it.- I'm not giving you t'keys when you're drunk. I can take it and I am taking it.
0:24:40 > 0:24:46The man's appeals are pointless. He has no insurance, so the car is being seized,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49along with the cannabis they've found.
0:24:54 > 0:25:00With more traffic on the roads, daytime brings a fresh set of problems for the cops.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06But as PCs Andy Tucker and Matt Fleming head for the motorway,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10they overhear a radio call for immediate assistance.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13INDISTINCT RADIO MESSAGE
0:25:22 > 0:25:28When the safety of a colleague is at stake, the cops put everything else to one side.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Suddenly to hear panting on the radio and obviously a foot chase,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33it gets the blood going a little bit
0:25:33 > 0:25:38and your first instinct is to get to that location as quick as we can to help out.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43X-Ray Tango, one-eight, we're half a mile from him.
0:25:43 > 0:25:49An officer has got somebody under arrest. We're not sure what the offence is.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54He's just asked for some assistance, so we're going to make our way and help him out.
0:25:54 > 0:26:00You don't know why he's chasing that individual, whether they've got weapons, who that individual is.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04When they get there, the runaway has been caught and cuffed.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- Hello, mate. Are you all right? - Ey-up!
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Just have a seat in the car. We'll get it sorted out.
0:26:18 > 0:26:24If prisoners let out on compassionate grounds don't return, an arrest warrant is issued.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28He was wanted for recall to prison. We didn't know the details.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31The priority is getting him in the car and back to custody.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34But the prisoner has another priority.
0:26:34 > 0:26:40Will you not take me to Greenfield Lane to see my daughter? I was supposed to be meeting her there.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44We've been told to take you into custody, so we can't do anything other than that.
0:26:44 > 0:26:50I was going to hand myself in this afternoon after I'd seen my daughter. I saw my son yesterday.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- I really can't.- Can you go into the left lane, so I can try and see her?
0:26:54 > 0:26:59- We can pull in the lane, but we can't pull up. - Yeah, just pull in that lane.- Right.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04She should be just anywhere here now. She were going to walk round to the doctor's to meet me.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10Look, she's there, just coming out now. Can you beep t'horn at all, please?
0:27:10 > 0:27:12She's there walking with t'pram.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Despite what people may think, we are human somewhere underneath.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21The rare occasion a human side slipped out, I started to listen to what he was saying.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25- Can I shout to her out the window at all? Just shout...- BLEEP
0:27:25 > 0:27:30- Just shout...- BLEEP - You're not getting out the car, but I'll give you two minutes.- Thank you.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32That's all I ask.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38When you're at work, the uniform goes on, you're in the marked car, it's...
0:27:38 > 0:27:44You become not robotic, but there's a prescribed way things are expected to happen.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49On this particular occasion, it would have been hard for me to say "no".
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- BLEEP- Yeah, she's there.- BLEEP
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Just shout at her.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00He's got two minutes.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08Is it your partner we've got in the back? He just wants a minute with his daughter.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Just put the window down, mate.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20They were there in that red car waiting for me right outside L&D.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Get her out and let me give her a kiss.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Take her dummy out.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36- Why have they put them on you? - I tried running off because I wanted to see her.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41'He knew full well that he was being recalled to prison.'
0:28:41 > 0:28:47I didn't know how long that was going to be for, but potentially, a substantial amount of time,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49so it was quite an emotional couple of minutes.
0:28:49 > 0:28:55- Give me another kiss, baby. - Give Daddy a kiss. - I love you, darling.- Say "love you"!
0:28:55 > 0:28:58- Say "love you".- Say "love you". - I love you, baby.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01All right, we'll have to go, Matt.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Let everyone know I'll be all right, yeah?
0:29:04 > 0:29:07- All right?- Thank you. - It's not a problem, mate.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15'It's the family, the people left behind that tend to suffer the most.'
0:29:15 > 0:29:23A lot of the time, people go off and serve prison sentences and family left behind feel the pain more.
0:29:26 > 0:29:32'It is difficult and it was difficult to watch. I could see both Mum and Dad were emotional.'
0:29:32 > 0:29:36We do have a human side and we can show a bit of compassion.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41One minute's better than none. At least I've seen them both.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43- Yeah.- Get it over and done with now.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48With the goodbyes over, the mood in the car lightens up.
0:29:48 > 0:29:54- That guy who chased me had some bollocks. I jumped down this massive wall and seen him- BLEEP- follow me.
0:29:54 > 0:30:00- BLEEP.- They were desperate. - Must have been a young un!
0:30:00 > 0:30:05- They've just run past and seen you? - Well, I were walking to meet her and they were parked up
0:30:05 > 0:30:12- just before. I seen both doors open and thought,- "BLEEP- this!" I just belted it, but...
0:30:12 > 0:30:14I'm unfit.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19I said, "All I want is to see my kids." He said, "I'll take you." So I stopped.
0:30:19 > 0:30:25- That's all I wanted anyway. - What offence are you in for, mate? - Drugs.- Was it?- Yeah.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30- Cannabis?- No, it were crack cocaine and heroin.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34- How long's your sentence? - Three years.- How much have you done?
0:30:34 > 0:30:39- I did 14 months. I split up with her. I was just- BLEEP- depressed.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41So that's why I didn't go back.
0:30:41 > 0:30:47In the end, the decision to let him see his daughter seems to be the right one.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50'It's always difficult going against the grain.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55'We have professional discretion, but going away from the norm is sometimes difficult.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59'It's a judgment call to make.'
0:30:59 > 0:31:03His family were there. It's a decision I made and I stick by it.
0:31:03 > 0:31:08Giving him that few minutes didn't do any harm, but it's always difficult.
0:31:08 > 0:31:1535 miles away in Leeds, PC Mick Roffe has teamed up with PC Gary Panther.
0:31:18 > 0:31:24There's something not quite right about the red Volkswagen Golf that's coming into view.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27We'll have a look at this one.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31'It's a bit of a gut feeling kind of instinct.'
0:31:31 > 0:31:33There's something not right.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36I'm not sure what it is, but you feel it in your bones.
0:31:36 > 0:31:42Mick's checking the Police National Computer to find out who owns the car.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49It comes back to Global Autocare.
0:31:50 > 0:31:56The car belongs to a company, so Mick will check if the driver is entitled to be at the wheel
0:31:56 > 0:31:59and if he's insured.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Hi, pal. Give us your keys, pal.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07- A problem?- No, just a routine stop, mate. Your motor?- Yeah.
0:32:07 > 0:32:13- Well, it's actually Global Autocare, but I'm insured for the day. - For just one day? A hire motor?
0:32:13 > 0:32:18- No, it's Global Autocare.- What do you do?- I'm a debt collector.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22- Right enough. You got some ID, pal? Are you collecting now?- I am.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27If you're knocking on people's doors you'll have some formal ID.
0:32:27 > 0:32:33- Put that tab off for us, mate. - Get rid of my cigarette? - Do you mind?- No, not at all, mate.
0:32:33 > 0:32:39- You won't do me for chucking it away? - Don't throw it out. You can smoke it after.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44- Got your rental agreement for this car?- I don't. It's Global Autocare.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48- Don't you get a copy to go with the car?- No, well, it's my friend's...
0:32:48 > 0:32:54- Is it yours or your friend's? - My friend's, but I'm insured for the day with Insure Daily.com.
0:32:54 > 0:33:02- Insure Daily.com?- That's correct. - So who's hired the car?- It's a leased vehicle through Daniel Myers.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06- Daniel Myers Global Autocare. The hiree is Mr- BLEEP.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10I'm renting it for the day. I'm basically hiring it for the day.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15Gaz, he's saying that he don't lease this car. Someone else does.
0:33:15 > 0:33:20And he's hiring it just for a day. He's paid this kid some money.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25I haven't paid him. Just a deposit in case something happens to the car.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27'When you first start,'
0:33:27 > 0:33:29you are gullible to a certain extent
0:33:29 > 0:33:33and many a time my tutor constable clipped me round the ear
0:33:33 > 0:33:37and said, "Don't be so stupid." You take people at face value.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41The worst thing about this job is you look for the bad in everybody.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45- So you've rented it off- BLEEP - for today?- Pretty much.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48No markers for him, Mick.
0:33:48 > 0:33:54- Interestingly, the driver's friend is actually listed in his book of debtors.- Can I have a look at that?
0:33:54 > 0:33:57- Yeah, of course you can. - What are these documents in here?
0:33:57 > 0:34:01That is Provident Finance Credit. He's one of my friends.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06- He got a loan off them.- It seems strange. Are these your customers?
0:34:06 > 0:34:10- Correct.- This guy owes you money and you're driving his car around.
0:34:10 > 0:34:15We were sort of thinking, well, here's a debt collector,
0:34:15 > 0:34:17driving around in somebody's car,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19who owes him money.
0:34:19 > 0:34:27Has he threatened or has he put any pressure on this gentleman to allow him to drive his vehicle...
0:34:28 > 0:34:31..in payment for the debt that he owes.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35- How much does he owe you? - He owes...
0:34:35 > 0:34:37£940 minus £35.
0:34:37 > 0:34:42- And you've given him 200 quid to borrow his car?- A deposit of £200.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46- That's different from giving him cash.- All right, pal.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49It's this lad who owns it here.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Because the debt collector's story isn't stacking up,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Gary's going to contact the leasing company.
0:34:55 > 0:34:571-7 to back office.
0:34:57 > 0:35:03- I know it seems dodgy... - It does. From my point of view, it seems very suspect.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07- There's a conflict of interest there.- There's no conflict at all.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10You said you rented the car off him.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14We've got one of your vehicles stopped at the moment.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18We just, basically, believe that the gentleman who's driving it
0:35:18 > 0:35:21has not actually hired the vehicle from yourselves.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25We want to confirm if he's entitled to drive it at all.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29- How long have you been doing this job?- About four years.- Decent money?
0:35:29 > 0:35:32Can be. Depends if people pay.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35- Do you get paid on a commission basis?- Yeah.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40- So whatever you recover, you get a percentage?- I get a basic as well.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44It depends. I get 15% of what I collect.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Are you all right with this chap?
0:35:46 > 0:35:50- Yeah.- His phone keeps ringing. I've told him not to answer it.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54- He's not been searched yet.- OK. - I'll just speak to Gaz.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58Gary has just found out who IS allowed to drive the car.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01They rent the car off Global Autocare.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05- Then they've rented it out specifically to- BLEEP
0:36:05 > 0:36:09- and- BLEEP- only.- Yeah. - And then he's driving it.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12They don't consent for him to drive that car.
0:36:12 > 0:36:18If you lease a vehicle and there's a person who's not on the lease agreement,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21you can't allow them to drive around in it.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24It's, technically, leased to you only.
0:36:24 > 0:36:29You're under arrest on suspicion of taking this vehicle without consent. All right?
0:36:29 > 0:36:33- Just jump out. Is there anything in your pockets at all?- No.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37For some reason, he's chosen to leave a watch in the car.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41- Whose is that watch?- It's mine. - Take it with you?- No, leave it.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45The car's not going back to you, so you need everything out of there.
0:36:45 > 0:36:52Now, why would you take your own watch off and put it in a car going back to Global Autocare?
0:36:52 > 0:36:56He's never going to see it again. It was 150 quid's worth of watch.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00- The watch is mine.- So, why leave it? - I'll take it, then. I'll have it.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Whose is that watch?
0:37:02 > 0:37:07All right, it's my watch, right, but it's not of any value, mate...
0:37:07 > 0:37:14- Listen. What are you getting upset for?- Because you're trying to twist everything I'm saying.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18I told you to get everything out the car and you've took a watch off.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Because the watch is invaluable.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24There's no value to it. I don't mind if I don't have it back.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28So, why take it off? It just don't make sense. Do you understand?
0:37:28 > 0:37:33- It does.- I'm not being funny with you, but why would you take a watch off?
0:37:33 > 0:37:36That cost me a fiver. I wouldn't throw it on t'floor.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40I'll seize this from you and we'll make some inquiries about it.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45- All right.- If it's someone else's, we'll speak to you about that.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- Well, it's my friend's watch- BLEEP - and it's mine as well.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53- So it's not your watch, is it? - It doesn't matter.- It does matter.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58I was wearing it for today. Is there a problem with that?
0:37:58 > 0:38:04- We'll have to speak to- BLEEP. - OK, fine.- If you're taking people's possessions in payment for...
0:38:04 > 0:38:08- what he owes you.- I'm not taking possessions. He's my good friend.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13- And he's also got his good friend's passport.- I'll have that as well.
0:38:13 > 0:38:19It was our reasonable assumption that he'd put some pressure on the guy who owed him money
0:38:19 > 0:38:24and said, "I'll have your watch, your car and do what I want with it."
0:38:24 > 0:38:27And there's another find that's not making sense.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30How long have you had this car for?
0:38:30 > 0:38:34- I've had it for...not long at all. - How long's "not long at all"?
0:38:34 > 0:38:39- A day. Today.- Your nose is getting longer every time you speak.
0:38:39 > 0:38:44- I've had the car today. Is that my licence?- It is. - I don't know why that's in there.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49It's your licence, wrapped up with a train ticket from 21st September.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54- I don't know why. Maybe I left some stuff in the boot.- Yeah.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58He's got this kid's passport, a watch that he says is his.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01We need to go and have a word with this kid
0:39:01 > 0:39:04and make sure nowt untoward's happened.
0:39:04 > 0:39:11If Gary and Mick can track "this kid" down, then maybe they'll find out the truth.
0:39:18 > 0:39:24In Birmingham, the cars involved in the multiple pile-up on the motorway are examined by Al Colman
0:39:24 > 0:39:26and Jess Davies.
0:39:26 > 0:39:34I just had a little walk around the Mini and you can see there's a shopping bag
0:39:34 > 0:39:38with a couple of bottles of sparkly wine.
0:39:38 > 0:39:45It just hits home to you, really, you know, looking at the state of the car,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48it looks to me like they've stopped off at the shops,
0:39:48 > 0:39:53bought a couple of bottles of bubbly, perhaps having a girly night in,
0:39:53 > 0:39:57like me and my mum do that every other week.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00It's quite sort of haunting to look at that vehicle,
0:40:00 > 0:40:07especially when it's really mangled up and you know what the people in that vehicle went through
0:40:07 > 0:40:09and what the end result was.
0:40:09 > 0:40:14One person died, but seven people survived. The big question is
0:40:14 > 0:40:20what caused the Mini to be in the wrong lane and crash head on into the Jaguar?
0:40:20 > 0:40:25On CCTV, when the vehicle goes across into the opposing carriageway,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28we can see that the brake lights aren't illuminated,
0:40:28 > 0:40:33so our suspicion is that possibly the brakes weren't applied.
0:40:36 > 0:40:41The brakes work. Just push real hard.
0:40:42 > 0:40:47So that's telling us that the brakes are actually working.
0:40:47 > 0:40:53If we can get power into the vehicle, we can check whether the brake lights actually apply.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56I think while you're here we'll do that.
0:40:56 > 0:41:03The car's powered up, so if Jess presses the brake pedal, we'll see what happens.
0:41:07 > 0:41:13So the brake lights... are working. She never braked.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19I think it's something medical now, I do.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21I think she's felt unwell.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25My personal opinion, I think she may have been unconscious
0:41:25 > 0:41:27when this vehicle was going across...
0:41:27 > 0:41:30going across the carriageway
0:41:30 > 0:41:33because she hasn't made any attempt
0:41:33 > 0:41:36to correct her steering or to apply the brakes.
0:41:36 > 0:41:42As well as one fatality, four of the survivors were injured, but it could have been much worse.
0:41:42 > 0:41:49Seat belts were the main reason why we only had one fatality in this accident.
0:41:49 > 0:41:54In the Jaguar that night were Paul Hill, his wife and two friends.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58I'd only had the car for three weeks and it was the first occasion
0:41:58 > 0:42:03that I'd actually had rear passengers in the car.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07They put their seat belts on because of the annoying buzzer
0:42:07 > 0:42:09that prompts people to wear seat belts
0:42:09 > 0:42:14that are usually fitted in the front, but on the Jag is fitted in the rear as well.
0:42:14 > 0:42:20Wearing those rear seat belts undoubtedly saved their lives and, most likely,
0:42:20 > 0:42:25the lives of those in the front, too. Paul's wife Siobhan was in the back seat.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29She suffered severe bruising, but these were her only injuries.
0:42:29 > 0:42:34It makes you look at your own mortality and you wake up thinking
0:42:34 > 0:42:39it is good to be alive today. I thank God for that every day.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Since the accident, more than ever.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Time and time again, you'll stop someone for not wearing a seat belt,
0:42:46 > 0:42:50you'll give them a ticket, they think it's beneath them.
0:42:50 > 0:42:57They think why should they have to pay a fine, they think it's petty. They just don't get the point.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01People get annoyed with us. "Can you not just give me a warning?"
0:43:01 > 0:43:07This is the reason why I can't give you a warning. This is why it's £60. Cos it's your life.
0:43:07 > 0:43:13It's your life that you're playing with and if you're the rear seat passenger with no seat belt,
0:43:13 > 0:43:19you're also playing with the life of the people in front, the driver and passenger.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21You're playing with their lives as well.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27Not wearing seat belts and using mobile phones while driving
0:43:27 > 0:43:33- are two of the most common motoring offences in the UK.- Hiya. You're not wearing your seat belt.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Oh! OK, I'm sorry.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41It's just cos I literally was just coming up the road and that's my house.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45It's great that your child is in a seat belt, but where's yours?
0:43:46 > 0:43:52- No seat belt. - I just literally took it off to lean over to get her dummy.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55I can see you've got it on now.
0:43:55 > 0:44:00- Why isn't it on?- I just took it off. - You didn't have it on at the lights.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03You didn't have it on.
0:44:03 > 0:44:09For a second - that's all it takes to put a seat belt on - you're dead a very long time.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13So it's really important that people wear seat belts.
0:44:13 > 0:44:19It's a different story altogether now. I'll not let anybody sit behind me in a car
0:44:19 > 0:44:24without wearing a seat belt. I won't get in a taxi without a seat belt on.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27It's had... It's made a massive difference to us.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34Keeping people safe on the roads is a major part of the job,
0:44:34 > 0:44:42- but still a hardcore of drivers ignore the law.- There's an "It'll never happen to me" culture.
0:44:42 > 0:44:49"If I just go down to the shop with no seat belt, no-one will catch me." "If I just take this quick call."
0:44:49 > 0:44:53And it's more than likely that's the time it's all going to go wrong.
0:44:53 > 0:44:58Every year, 200,000 tickets for not wearing a seat belt are issued
0:44:58 > 0:45:03and 150,000 drivers are prosecuted for using their phones at the wheel.
0:45:03 > 0:45:08It's plain stupidity when people use a mobile phone. The message has been
0:45:08 > 0:45:11out there for everybody to be aware.
0:45:11 > 0:45:17Motorway cops Nigel Kearney and Martin Smith are on the M42 south of Birmingham.
0:45:17 > 0:45:24They're in an unmarked car, making it easy to creep up on drivers who think they won't be caught.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28He's on the phone, the lorry. DX61 AEC.
0:45:28 > 0:45:34- He was holding the phone out in front. He's getting a ticket. - He's catching on now, mate.
0:45:34 > 0:45:40- He's a professional driver, he's got a 44-tonne truck. - 'It is a lethal weapon.'
0:45:40 > 0:45:45They don't stop for things. If they travel at 55mph,
0:45:45 > 0:45:50fully laden, and hit a car, they go over it.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54- Very distinctive phone when you're holding it when you're driving.- Sorry.
0:45:54 > 0:46:00Like many drivers who are caught in the act, this man has a ready answer.
0:46:00 > 0:46:04If you look, I can honestly say I was doing that.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08- I swear I wasn't using it. - But it's in your hand.- I know.
0:46:08 > 0:46:15- If something happened in front of you, you wouldn't have the same... - I swear I wasn't using my phone.
0:46:15 > 0:46:23But you had it in your hand. We're prosecuting you for not being in proper control of your vehicle.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26- OK.- You are driving a 44-tonne truck.- Yeah.
0:46:26 > 0:46:32What happens when that 44-tonne truck at 55 miles an hour
0:46:32 > 0:46:38- ploughs into the back of a small family car?- I totally appreciate what you're saying.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42I've got a hands-free kit. I was looking at a picture.
0:46:42 > 0:46:48When I open it, a picture of my daughter comes on. I look at it 50 times a day. Personal reasons.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53I appreciate that, but you shouldn't do it when you're driving.
0:46:53 > 0:47:00- So the way I would like to deal with you today is a fixed penalty notice. - Certainly.- Have you any points?
0:47:00 > 0:47:03- Nine.- How many?- Nine.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07- Right.- That changes things somewhat.
0:47:07 > 0:47:13Nine points is pretty much a critical turning point on anybody's driving licence.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15It's one more hit and you're out.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19We can't issue a fixed penalty for someone already on nine points.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22That person could be disqualified.
0:47:22 > 0:47:28For this trucker, a disqualification is likely to mean the loss of his livelihood.
0:47:28 > 0:47:35I've just started work again. I've been through a divorce hence the picture.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39- What's your nine for? - I had a car in 2008
0:47:39 > 0:47:45- and didn't give the police... Somebody drove it and I didn't... - Permission.- Six points.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49- And I've got three for speeding. - You're going to get disqualified.
0:47:56 > 0:48:02He's just crawled out of this dark place he was in and was just getting sorted. That was my dilemma.
0:48:02 > 0:48:09It seems quite trivial, but I really didn't want him to lose everything he'd worked really hard for.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12I just... It was quite heartfelt.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15We are human, aren't we? Same as everybody else.
0:48:15 > 0:48:22- You've been disqualified before? - He has.- I've had a lot of problems, as you can probably gather.
0:48:22 > 0:48:28I know where you're coming from, I can empathise fully because I have similar issues,
0:48:28 > 0:48:33but I still can't do certain things whilst I'm at work.
0:48:34 > 0:48:40It's a sorry time when marriages break up and when relationships between parents and children
0:48:40 > 0:48:45'also break down. Sometimes there can be an awful lot of bitterness'
0:48:45 > 0:48:48surrounding the break-up.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52And it does get in the way of relationships with children.
0:48:52 > 0:48:58Being on my phone looking at pictures of my kids, which I don't get to see very often, like yourself,
0:48:58 > 0:49:03I'd end up in the same degree of trouble for the same offences.
0:49:03 > 0:49:08I'm a professional driver, my colleague is, but we have responsibilities.
0:49:08 > 0:49:13We've got no choice but to act because of what you were doing.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17It puts us in a very, very difficult position.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22We have many options. We can send people to court, endorse their licence,
0:49:22 > 0:49:29send them on a driver improvement scheme. Or we can... give them a warning.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32We've got discretion.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35Sometimes I'd rather use discretion.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40While the cops decide what path they're going to take,
0:49:40 > 0:49:47back in Leeds the debt collector is being booked into Bridewell police station.
0:49:47 > 0:49:54- Know how much should be here? - He was driving a leased car without the leasing company's consent.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01Do you have a solicitor or would you like me to contact the duty scheme?
0:50:01 > 0:50:04- Can you ring- BLEEP?
0:50:04 > 0:50:09- Do you know what company he's from? - Oh, he's from...
0:50:10 > 0:50:12BLEEP
0:50:12 > 0:50:18'Very upset, very emotional. More than you would expect of someone who hasn't done anything wrong.'
0:50:20 > 0:50:25From start to finish, he's not told us a straight story. He constantly changes it.
0:50:25 > 0:50:30He's asked myself and Gary, quite upset, if he'll go to prison.
0:50:30 > 0:50:36To get to the truth about the hire car, Mick and Gary need to talk to the actual leaseholder
0:50:36 > 0:50:40so they're going to his home address.
0:50:45 > 0:50:50The blinds are down on t'windows. Surprisingly.
0:50:50 > 0:50:56They've just discovered that the debt collector's solicitor has already "had a word"
0:50:56 > 0:51:01about his arrest with the man they want to question. Mick and Gary are more than a little unhappy.
0:51:01 > 0:51:06He shouldn't make his own inquiries, undermining our investigation.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08I'm fuming about that.
0:51:08 > 0:51:13The man has agreed to meet them - in a petrol station forecourt.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19You'll have to move your seat forward, mate.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24- You're pretty much aware of why you're here.- BLEEP- rang me.
0:51:24 > 0:51:32- So that's what I'm aware of. - He's rung you. Is he your solicitor? - He's a family friend of my family.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35He was careful not to drop anybody in it.
0:51:35 > 0:51:40Do you owe any money to the gentleman you lent the car to?
0:51:40 > 0:51:43- To Max?- Yeah.- No. Not a penny.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46I don't owe him any money now.
0:51:46 > 0:51:53- So he's not collecting any debts from yourself?- No, he's not collecting any debts, not at all.
0:51:53 > 0:51:57- That's nothing to do with anything. - Ever lived at- BLEEP- in Leeds?- Yeah.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00So he is collecting money from you.
0:52:00 > 0:52:06- No, he's not collecting any money from me. - So you've never owed him 1,500 quid?
0:52:06 > 0:52:12- Are you talking about Max Michelson? - Yeah.- I've never owed Max Michelson £1,500, no.
0:52:12 > 0:52:18Oh, do you mean Max Michelson, Providence-wise? In the past, I've taken out a loan with him,
0:52:18 > 0:52:20but not for £1,500, no.
0:52:20 > 0:52:25He were tying himself up in knots, trying to come up with explanations.
0:52:25 > 0:52:31- Sorry, I didn't realise... - I said is he collecting a debt? - No, he's not collecting a debt.
0:52:31 > 0:52:36With his company, Providence, I have, in the past, taken out a loan, but it's separate.
0:52:36 > 0:52:42When I were asking the questions, I was obviously thinking, "This is not true."
0:52:42 > 0:52:50- Shall we start again?- Yeah. - Shall we start again, assuming we know more than you think we know?
0:52:50 > 0:52:56- No...- Do you want to tell us the truth?- I'm not... I've got... - Don't say, "I'm not lying."
0:52:56 > 0:53:03- That never works.- I understand that. I've got no reason to lie to you at all about anything.- I don't agree.
0:53:03 > 0:53:10- Has he given you any money today? - He hasn't.- Any money towards the vehicle, to cover any damage?
0:53:10 > 0:53:16He's given me nothing. He's not given me a penny. I haven't taken any money off him at all.
0:53:16 > 0:53:22There's still some questions to be answered. The stories you're both providing...
0:53:22 > 0:53:27I'm pretty certain that one of you is lying.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31- Well, I don't... - We'll get the statement sorted.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35We'll put it down on paper and he'll have to answer some questions.
0:53:35 > 0:53:40They do always try to give you an account that's semi-plausible.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43'But we have the time and resources and the tenacity'
0:53:43 > 0:53:48to see things through to the nth degree, if you like.
0:53:48 > 0:53:53The man will be formally interviewed on tape and released while they continue their investigation.
0:53:56 > 0:54:02Back on the M42, Nigel Kearney and Martin Smith have made up their minds what to do
0:54:02 > 0:54:06with the trucker they caught using his mobile phone.
0:54:06 > 0:54:13I appreciate you've got your job to do and I suppose I've learnt about mine now, haven't I?
0:54:13 > 0:54:17I've only just gone back to work Thursday. I had 12 months off,
0:54:17 > 0:54:21with all the hassle I've gone through.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25You'll be reported for driving whilst not in proper control.
0:54:25 > 0:54:30I can't deal with you by fixed penalty notice because of your points.
0:54:30 > 0:54:36The cops have the freedom to use discretion in dealing with every driver.
0:54:36 > 0:54:41Discretion is important. We have to remember that we can make choices.
0:54:41 > 0:54:47We're not forced down a particular route in terms of he should go to court or get a ticket
0:54:47 > 0:54:54or we should caution or let an individual off. We have to take consideration of all of the facts.
0:54:54 > 0:54:59It's not about letting people off. It's not about not taking any action.
0:54:59 > 0:55:07It's about making appropriate decisions for that individual and the circumstances we dealt with.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11Sometimes a decision that's right for one person isn't right for the next.
0:55:13 > 0:55:18I hope it pans out. You'll get into your cab now with my colleague.
0:55:18 > 0:55:24- I hope it pans out...- Cheers. - ..with the kids. I'm in the same boat.- Thanks very much.
0:55:24 > 0:55:30The written caution he'll receive means he may avoid losing his licence, but he'll get a lecture.
0:55:30 > 0:55:36This is your final chance and the reason being that what you're driving kills people.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40You not looking what you're doing, you will kill somebody, right?
0:55:40 > 0:55:46These things aren't forgiving. You promise you'll never do it again? You get hands-free
0:55:46 > 0:55:52and never use that phone ever again when you're driving. You get caught again by us or another crew,
0:55:52 > 0:55:58I'll make sure you go to court. I'll put in there that I have given you this chance
0:55:58 > 0:56:05- and if you disregard it, I'll ask for the maximum sentence. You've been through hell.- Yeah.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08You don't want to put yourself through it again.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10See you later.
0:56:13 > 0:56:18- OK?- Yeah. There will be a letter in the post.
0:56:21 > 0:56:26If you can see what the guy is trying to do, trying to get on his feet,
0:56:26 > 0:56:30and it's been a long road for him and he's lost everything,
0:56:30 > 0:56:32I know cos I've been there. And you have.
0:56:33 > 0:56:40We've still got to do the right thing in terms of our responsibilities to other motorists as well.
0:56:40 > 0:56:46I can really empathise with him, but we can't let our hearts rule our heads in that way.
0:56:46 > 0:56:50We haven't prosecuted him to the full letter of the law.
0:56:50 > 0:56:56He hasn't gone to court, lost his licence, but you have to put yourself in that situation.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59What would you have done?
0:57:01 > 0:57:08The Crown Prosecution Service took no action against the driver of the Mini in which her mother died.
0:57:08 > 0:57:14The inquest found that the driver may possibly have had a severe allergic reaction,
0:57:14 > 0:57:21causing her to black out at the wheel. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25The young woman who crashed her car made a full recovery.
0:57:25 > 0:57:31Doctors believe she became ill whilst driving due to a new course of medicine she'd just started.
0:57:32 > 0:57:38Why the man who ran away from the cops was behaving strangely was never established.
0:57:38 > 0:57:43The substances found on him were not illegal. No action was taken.
0:57:43 > 0:57:50But the driver of the car had neither a licence nor insurance. He was fined £500, paid £85 costs
0:57:50 > 0:57:53and received eight points on his licence.
0:57:53 > 0:57:58The debt collector wasn't prosecuted for taking the leasing company's car without consent
0:57:58 > 0:58:04and no further action was taken against him for borrowing his mate's watch and passport, either.
0:58:04 > 0:58:10However, he was charged with driving without insurance. He pleaded guilty, paid £85 in court costs
0:58:10 > 0:58:17and was given a six-month conditional discharge. No action was taken against his mate.
0:58:17 > 0:58:24And the man who was looking at photos of his daughter on his phone while driving a 44-tonne truck
0:58:24 > 0:58:27received an official letter of caution.
0:58:46 > 0:58:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd