Woman whose family killed in crash warns of pursuit risks

An Irish woman whose family perished in a road accident in Britain has cautioned against the perils of police pursuits. Elber Twomey's husband Con, her infant son Oisín and their unborn daughter Elber-Marie lost their lives when a suicidal driver struck their vehicle while they were on holiday in Torquay in 2012. The incident prompted Devon and Cornwall police to reevaluate their pursuit strategy for dangerous drivers.

Ms Twomey has since collaborated with both police forces and the Gardaí on the matter of police pursuits. Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, she expressed her sympathies for those affected by last weekend’s tragic crash on the M9 in Ireland, where five individuals were killed and four others injured. In response to the crash, calls have been made to expedite pursuit training for Gardaí.

However, Ms Twomey believes that pursuing a dangerously driven vehicle can exacerbate the situation and potentially push individuals to dangerous extremes. She noted that in her case, the driver was unnerved by the police presence and sirens, and if he had been followed from a safe distance, he might have been monitored without putting him in harm's way.

Ms Twomey added that police drivers were given pursuit training following her ordeal, but the officer involved in her case was not adequately trained to initiate a pursuit. She emphasized that better visibility and an increased police presence on the roads could improve overall driver behavior. Ms Twomey also suggested that there should be a high likelihood of encountering a Garda checkpoint while driving, stating that Gardaí need sufficient numbers to effectively police the 26 counties.

She lamented that with only around 300 Gardaí working at any given time, it is unfair to expect them to serve the entire country. When asked if more could be done to alert motorists of an ongoing pursuit, Ms Twomey admitted uncertainty about the effectiveness of radios or billboards on motorways.