Police officers honoured for valiant attempts to save teenagers after Oldbury crash
Four police who fought a desperate battle to save two victims of a late night crash are to receive top national honours.
PCs Andrew Clarke, Paul Ennis, Andrew Lavanchy and a fourth officer, who cannot be named, have all been awarded Royal Humane Society Certificates of Commendation for their work to try and save two young people at the scene.
The tragedy happened as people gathered to watch high performance cars drive through the Black Country in what was believed to be an event organised online.
A man and a woman, both in their 20s, also suffered serious injuries
The pair died following the incident, which happened in Birmingham Road in Oldbury at 11.30pm on November 21, which saw a car reportedly involved in the racing lose control.
The first police on the scene were PCs Clarke and Ennis who immediately began administering cardiac pulmonary resuscitation.
PC Lavanchy and the other officer who cannot be named arrived later and immediately, with the four officers doing all they could to save the two young people.
In addition to the awards they are to receive, they also won the personal praise of Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society.
He said: “They were confronted with a horrific and chaotic scene.
“However, they rapidly assessed the situation, realised who the victims with the worst injuries were and then launched a prolonged battle to save them.
“Sadly, despite their best efforts the victims were beyond home, but the officers did all that was humanly possible for them and they richly deserve the awards they are to receive.”
The awards are the latest in a long line of awards by the Royal Humane Society which, other than awards made by the Crown, is the premier national body for honouring bravery in the saving of human life.
It was founded in 1774 by two of the day's eminent medical men, William Hawes and Thomas Cogan, whose primary motive was to promote techniques of resuscitation.
The Society also awards non health care professionals who perform a successful resuscitation.
Since it was set up the Society has considered more than 90,000 cases and made more than 220,000 awards.
A 54-year-old man arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving was released on police bail.
