Ex-officer faces gross misconduct proceedings over handling of fatal crash

A retired police officer faces a gross misconduct investigation over the handling of a crash where a 19-year-old Cambridgeshire[1] man died. Jacob Cranshaw, from St Neots[2], died after the van he was a passenger in crashed into a lorry along the A14[3] westbound, near Kettering, on October 17, 2021. The van driver, named Christopher Hicks, was given a 30-week prison sentence in February 2024[4] for causing death by dangerous driving. It was Northamptonshire[5] Police that handled the case.

In May of this year, the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) received a request to review the complaint investigation conducted by the police force during the investigation of the crash. During the review, the IOPC investigated a range of concerns raised by Jacob's family. These included contact and communication between police and the family, the role of the family liaison officer being combined with that of the investigating officer and not all reasonable lines of enquiry being pursued.

The IOPC determined the complaint investigation provided by the force was "unacceptable". During the review, the IOPC also determined that a police officer had a case to answer for misconduct, with some potential issues that could amount to gross misconduct. Northamptonshire Police decided it would not carry out disciplinary proceedings as the officer in question had retired.

However, the Police Conduct Regulations allows for a misconduct hearing to take place when a former officer has a case to answer for gross misconduct. An IOPC spokesperson said: "In May 2025 we received a request to carry out a review of a complaint investigation conducted by Northamptonshire's Police, involving a collision on the A14 in October 2021, in which 19-year-old Jacob Crawshaw sadly died. "When carrying out a review, we determine whether a force's handling of the complaints and the outcomes were reasonable and proportionate.

It is not our role to re-investigate the complaints. "The complaints from the family of Jacob covered a range of concerns including the level of contact and communication between police and the family, the role of the family liaison officer being combined with that of the investigating officer and not all reasonable lines of enquiry being pursued. "Northamptonshire Police's complaint investigation determined that the service provided by the force was unacceptable in these areas as well as determining that an officer had a case to answer for misconduct, along with identifying potential issues that may amount to Gross Misconduct.

The force decided that disciplinary proceedings would not be brought, in part because the officer has since retired. "However, the Police Conduct Regulations do allow for a misconduct hearing to take place where a former officer has a case to answer for gross misconduct. We concluded that the force's provision of a timeline covering the road collision did not amount to an acceptable level of service.

"We have recommended that the force review this and send a new copy to the complainant which includes omissions from the timeline and the necessary adjustments made to spelling errors in the document. We also concluded that the actions of the subject officer's superiors have not yet been reasonably or proportionately considered and that had there been more robust oversight, issues might have been identified earlier, potentially preventing some of the subsequent mistakes in the collision investigation. "We have directed that these matters, which are also relevant to the conduct and behaviour of the subject officer, be investigated.

Following that investigation, Northamptonshire Police are required to consider once again whether any officer, including the subject officer, has a case to answer and whether disciplinary proceedings should be brought." Northamptonshire Police said it acknowledges the IOPC's findings and continues to communicate with Jacob's family. A police spokesperson said: "We acknowledge the findings of the IOPC in relation to this matter and continue to engage with the family of Jacob Crawshaw.

As this remains a live investigation, we are unable to comment further at this time."

References

1. ^ Cambridgeshire (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
2. ^ Jacob Cranshaw, from St Neots (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
3. ^ A14 (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
4. ^ given a 30-week prison sentence in February 2024 (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
5. ^ Northamptonshire (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)