A POLICE car destroyed a garden wall after crashing into a car while rushing to an emergency with its blue lights on.

The incident happened in London Road, Benfleet, and left a young boy and his mother shaken after their car was involved in the crash.

A witness, who has asked to remain anonymous, said he watched the incident unfold after he had pulled over for the blue-light vehicle.

He said: “I was driving along the road and there was another car in front of me.

“I suddenly heard a police car coming up behind me at great speed with its siren and lights on. I would estimate it was probably travelling at about 60mph.

“I slowed down and pulled over slightly to let it past but the car in front of me seemed oblivious and proceeded to try and turn right off London Road and pulled into the middle of the carriageway.

“The police car started breaking heavily and swerved to try and avoid the car but must have hit it at about 30mph.

“It smashed into a garden wall on the corner which was completely destroyed.

“The little boy in the other car looked extremely shaken and upset.

“I think the police officer who was driving the car suffered some kind of injury to his hand because some of the bricks from the garden wall came flying through his window but no one looked seriously injured.

Essex Police has confirmed that a police vehicle was involved in a crash.

A spokesman for the force said: “A police car and an Audi Q7 were involved in a collision in London Road, Benfleet, at 10.45am on Saturday, November 17.

“The drivers suffered minor injuries.”

The road had to be closed in both directions while the vehicles were recovered and traffic had to be diverted.

The spokesman also confirmed the police car was on a blue-light response to an emergency after an intruder alarm was triggered at an unknown business on an industrial estate in south Essex.

It is unknown whether the incident, on Saturday morning, has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the police watchdog.