Plea for taxi driver witness to come forward after Police Support Officer struck while cycling

Image credit : Leicestershire Police

Detectives investigating a collision in which a Leicestershire Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) was struck while riding a bicycle are making a direct appeal for a taxi driver to come forward.

At around 8.20pm on Monday 4 October, PCSO Rita Purkayastha was riding on the A6 Leicester Road in Loughborough when she was involved in a collision with a black Kia Carens.

Both PCSO Purkayastha and the car were travelling towards Loughborough and, as a result of subsequent CCTV enquiries, officers noted a white taxi which had stopped outside a supermarket on the other side of the road at the time the collision occurred.

Officers from the force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) are asking the driver of the taxi – a Toyota Corolla or Auris estate – to come forward as it is believed he or she may have information that could help.

Detective Sergeant Paul Hawkins said: “We know that the taxi was first in a line of vehicles which may have seen or captured dashcam footage of the collision. It was travelling from the junction of Southfield Road and Jubilee Way towards the outer ring road.

“We know that the taxi would’ve been within metres of the collision as it had pulled over outside the supermarket for around three minutes before driving away from Loughborough town centre.

“If you’re the driver of that car, or you know who that person was, then please get in touch as soon as possible.”