A serious road traffic collision occurred early on Sunday morning on Prince Regent Lane in Newham, involving a Metropolitan Police response car and a VW Polo. The incident, which took place just after 6 am opposite the Metro and Place of Escape, resulted in injuries to both the driver and the involved officers.

The collision was so severe that it necessitated the closure of Prince Regent Lane in both directions, with diversions being implemented for traffic management. Consequently, drivers faced restricted access to the A13, and several bus routes were either diverted or temporarily suspended, disrupting normal transit services.

The scene attracted considerable attention, with investigators from the Chadwell Heath garage arriving to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash. The focus of the investigation will include analyzing CCTV footage and downloading black box data from the police response vehicle. This data will be crucial in determining the events that led to the unfortunate incident.

Both the police officers and the driver of the VW Golf sustained injuries, although they are reported to be minor. Emergency services responded promptly to the scene, providing necessary medical attention and securing the area for investigative work.

The Metropolitan Police have been approached for an official statement regarding the incident. They are expected to provide more details about the crash, including any potential contributing factors and the current status of the investigation.

A Spokesman for the Met Police said:At around 05:43hrs on Sunday, 7 January a police car was in collision with a Volkswagen Polo on the A13 Prince Regent Lane, E13. The driver of the Polo was taken to hospital where they were treated for minor injuries. No one else was injured as a result of the incident. Road closures were put in place while emergency services dealt with the incident. These have since been removed.