Black Country policeman accused of killing student in pedestrian crossing crash

Chinese 24-year-old Zhang Xuan Wei suffered 'devastating injuries' and died the day after Pc Vaughan Lowe from Stourbridge, struck him on the crossing as the 'green man' was flashing.

Pc Lowe, aged 43, has pleaded not guilty to causing Wei's death by careless driving.

The incident was captured on the car's recording device and the jury was shown footage of the moment of impact, on April 4, 2012 on the A34 New Town Row in Birmingham.

Prosecutor Graham Reeds QC told the jury that Wei had left his flat at around 7pm with a friend to get a takeaway from the nearby Newtown shopping centre.

Pc Lowe and a colleague were responding to a call that a vehicle which had earlier failed to stop had been sighted again, and were using the car's blue lights when the incident occurred.

Mr Reeds said: "As he approached the crossing the lights were initially displaying red against him. As the traffic lights changed from red to flashing amber the speed of the car was in the region of 62mph."

He explained that at the crossing as the pedestrian light changes from green to flashing green, the light for traffic changes from red to flashing amber. Mr Reeds said: "At this point Pc Lowe was around 75 metres from the crossing. His speed reduced to 54mph and further to around 52mph as he entered into the controlled area.

"There were no pedestrians in the process of crossing and none that he could see waiting to cross, so he made the decision to drive through the crossing without any further substantial decrease in speed.

"Mr Zhang did not stand and wait, but walked or jogged straight onto the crossing, and was not visible to Pc Lowe until a collision was inevitable and unavoidable. Pc Lowe braked, but the speed at the time of the collision was between 48 and 50mph."

Mr Reeds said the law does not require a trained officer to observe the speed limit in certain circumstances, and it was accepted Mr Lowe was responding to a properly-graded incident.

He added: "But it was not an emergency where there was a danger to life or limb. He was entitled to exceed the speed limit, but not to drive carelessly." The trial continues.