A 19-year-old Northumbria Police officer has died in hospital after being struck by a car while responding to an earlier collision, the force’s chief constable has confirmed.
Police Constable Jess Turnbull, who joined the force in September 2025 and was part of the Northumberland response policing team, was called to an incident on the A189 near Cramlington, Northumberland, at around 11.10pm on Monday 8 June. While outside her marked police vehicle at the scene of that initial collision, she was hit by a black Mercedes CLC — a vehicle that was unconnected to the original incident.
Pc Turnbull suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital in a critical condition. Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine confirmed that the officer died on Wednesday 10 June, surrounded by her loved ones.
The original incident that drew Pc Turnbull to the A189 involved a collision between two cars. Northumbria Police have said that the occupants of one of those vehicles fled the scene before the officer was struck.
At the scene of the fatal collision, a 73-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was taken to hospital but later released. Following Pc Turnbull’s death, the same man was re-arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has since been bailed. Police have appealed for witnesses and urged anyone with dashcam footage of the incident to come forward.
Tributes from colleagues and officials
Speaking at the force’s headquarters in North Tyneside, where the Union flag was flying at half-mast, Chief Constable Jardine paid tribute to the young officer. “This is an extremely tragic incident where Jess lost her life in the line of duty while serving and protecting our communities,” she said. “Our thoughts very much continue to be with her family, friends and all those who have been impacted by this devastating loss. We will continue to support her loved ones in any way we can.”
Ms Jardine described Pc Turnbull as “a dedicated and committed officer who always sought to do her best to keep her communities safe”, adding: “Jess was relatively new in service with so much still to look forward to in her career and life.”
Nick Munnelly, chairman of the Northumbria Police Federation, said Pc Turnbull had already made a “lasting impression” on her colleagues through her dedication, professionalism and readiness to help. The Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, Susan Dungworth, expressed condolences and said the loss was a reminder of the risks officers face daily. North East Mayor Kim McGuinness also offered her heartfelt sympathies to the officer’s family and the wider police family.
Pc Turnbull’s family have asked for privacy during this difficult time. Members of the public who wish to pay tribute with flowers have been asked not to leave them at the crash scene for safety reasons, but instead to leave them at the flagpole outside the force headquarters on Middle Engine Lane in Wallsend.
Historical and road safety context
Pc Turnbull is understood to be the first Northumbria Police officer killed on duty since 2006, when Police Constable Joseph Carroll died after a prisoner he was transporting pulled the handbrake of the police car, causing it to overturn. Pc Carroll was 46 and had served with the force since 1984.
The A189 Spine Road, particularly the southbound approach to the Moor Farm Roundabout near Cramlington, has a history of collisions, with the roundabout itself identified as a significant hotspot. Factors contributing to incidents include high approach speeds and variable queue lengths. In recent years, new technology including LED signs providing real-time traffic information has been introduced to improve safety on the road.
Nationally, between 2008 and 2019 a significant proportion of police officers killed on duty in the UK died in road traffic collisions, underscoring the inherent dangers of frontline policing.
