Police officer who left teen in 'vegetative state' from dangerous driving jailed

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A police officer has been jailed for leaving a teenage boy with catastrophic injuries when she crashed her patrol car into him.

Sarah De Meulemeester, 26, was responding to an emergency call regarding a suspect carrying a knife when she drove at speeds of up to 61mph on 30mph roads in wet conditions through Stockport on Boxing Day 2020.Manchester Evening News reports that the PC crashed into Khia Whitehead who was 15-year-old at the time leaving him paralysed and with severe brain injuries.

De Meulemeester has no authority to travel at high speeds from Greater Manchester Polic, a court heard. She also went the wrong way around traffic island during the drive. .Liverpool Crown Court heard emotional impact statements from members of Khia's family during sentencing today.Khia's mum said her son was in hospital for nine months and was 'initially in a permanent vegetative state with little awareness of the world around him'.The teenager now requires 24-hour care from specialist nurses with his mum describing her son is being 'like a newborn baby'.De Meulemeester, of Mill Court, Chinley, Derbyshire, was previously found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving following a trial.Khia was standing in the hatched area behind the traffic island with a friend when another police car, with its blue lights on, sped past on its way to the domestic incident.

The jury previously heard how the boy was distracted watching the car after it passed and stepped into the road, not realising the defendant's vehicle and another GMP car were following.Khia's devastated friend described the toll the incident had taken on him in court, bursting in to tears.