Police chief inspector arrested over Meriden student crash death
A West Midlands Police chief inspector has been arrested over a hit-and-run death and suspended from duty.
Jamie Jones, aged 37, who is a chief inspector in charge of staffing major West Midlands events, has been quizzed over the death of a 20-year-old student who died after a road accident in Meriden on Sunday night.
The high ranking officer was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has been suspended.
The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Raymond Cheung was found by paramedics on the A45 Birmingham Road, at 1.30am on Sunday. He was confirmed dead at the scene. . It’s believed he was a student at Warwick University. The exact circumstances of the accident are unclear. But sources claim that he may have been hit by a further three vehicles after the initial collision.
Chief Insp Jones, based at West Midlands Police Lloyd House HQ in the city centre, is in charge of “operations’ resilience” within the force. A logistical role, it is his job to ensure that key events in the Midlands which require a police presence are adequately staffed.
He was formerly in charge of police staff at Birmingham International Airport.
The officer was questioned for a number of hours on Sunday before being bailed.
In a statement the force said a 37-year-old man voluntarily attended a police station on Sunday and was later arrested.
The dual carriageway was closed on Sunday as the road policing officers carried out investigations and reconstructions.
Major Investigation Unit detectives are now leading the inquiry and appealed for witnesses to the incident.
A police spokesman said: “A 20-year-old man was killed after being involved in a collision with a car on the A45, near to the Star Oak service station, at about 1.30am on Sunday.
“Officers are appealing for any drivers on the A45 at the time who may have seen anything to contact them.
“A 37-year-old man voluntarily attended a police station in Coventry on Sunday morning. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
“The arrested man is a serving police officer who was off-duty at the time of the collision. The matter has therefore been voluntarily referred to the IPCC.”
