A 19-year-old police officer has died after being struck by a car while responding to another crash.
PC Jess Turnbull, a Northumbria police officer since September last year, was described by her chief constable, Vanessa Jardine, as “dedicated and committed” with so much to look forward to.
“Jess made the ultimate sacrifice and that will never be forgotten,” Jardine said on Thursday.
Police said Turnbull was responding to a collision on the A189 Spine Road in Cramlington, Northumberland, at about 11.10pm on Monday. While standing outside a marked police vehicle at the scene she was struck by a black Mercedes CLC which was not involved in the original incident.
A man, 73, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. After Turnbull died he was arrested again on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He is on bail.
Northumbria police said Turnbull was taken to hospital in a critical condition and died on Wednesday surrounded by loved ones.
At the force’s headquarters in Wallsend, where the union flag flew at half mast, Jardine paid tribute to the young officer killed in the “extremely tragic” incident.
“Jess lost her life in the line of duty while serving and protecting our communities,” Jardine said.
“Our thoughts very much continue to be with her family, friends and all those who have been impacted by this devastating loss. We will continue to support her loved ones in any way we can.
“Policing is a family, and we are mourning the passing not only of a colleague and a friend but also our own family member, and we will continue to support each other during this extremely difficult time.”
Turnbull worked on the response policing team in Northumberland after joining the force.
Jardine said: “Jess was relatively new in service with so much still to look forward to in her career and life.
“She was a dedicated and committed officer who always sought to do her best to keep her communities safe.
“Every single day police officers up and down the country face danger to protect the public. Thankfully, most go home. Tragically on this occasion Jess did not.
“I am grateful to all those who wear the uniform with pride to keep us all safe. Jess made the ultimate sacrifice and that will never be forgotten.”
Northumbria police said officers continued to investigate the collision and were keen to hear from witnesses travelling in the area at the time and anyone who might have dashcam footage.
They asked anyone who wanted to leave tributes to Turnbull to not do so at the scene. They could be left at the flagpole outside the force headquarters, from where they would be moved to its private memorial garden.
