Police issue appeal following fatal collision in Formby Village

ON Thursday, 3 August 2023, Merseyside Police issued an appeal for witnesses following a fatal road traffic collision in Formby Village, at around:- 4.20 pm, on:- Wednesday, 2 August 2023.

Merseyside Police have informed us that:- "a Vauxhall Corsa had mounted a pavement and collided with 2 pedestrians and 2 stationary vehicles, on the junction of Elbow Lane and Duke Street, in Formby. Emergency services attended and a 76 year old woman, who was 1 of the pedestrians, was treated at the scene by Paramedics after sustaining a serious head injury but was sadly pronounced dead. Her next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained Officers. The other pedestrian, an 80 year old woman, suffered only slight injuries. The driver of the Vauxhall Corsa is continuing to assist us with our enquiries."

Detective Sergeant Andy Roper, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said:- "Our thoughts and sympathies go to the family and friends of the woman who has sadly died. Our enquiries are at the early stages as we seek to establish what has taken place and I would appeal to anyone who was in the area of Elbow Lane at around 4.20 pm who saw anything or has any information which could assist with our enquiries to contact us. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information is asked to call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on:- 01517775747, or email:- SCIU@Merseyside.Police.UK, quoting reference:- 23000703504."

Please avoid speculation and please do not share images of the casualties.

MFRS call on key partners across Merseyside to highlight concerns over Lithium-ion battery fires

FOLLOWING a series of Lithium-ion battery related fatal fires and after a national report conducted by Electrical Safety 1st (ESF) was released, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) are asking their key partners to understand the challenges and share important safety advice.

The report from charity ESF outlines findings from research into the safety of e-bikes and e-scooters and their batteries, making a series of recommendations for improving safety.

On average, during 2022/23, MFRS were called to an e-bike or e-scooter fire once every 2 weeks. In the same period, there were 5 injuries and very sadly, 2 fatalities which were directly related to fires in the home which involved e-bikes.

MFRS Area Manager for Prevention Mark Thomas said:- "These statistics are stark, and they highlight the potential risks when charging e-bikes and e-scooters in the home. Investigations locally and further afield in the UK have confirmed Lithium-ion batteries as the source of fire at multiple incidents that have resulted in death and injury. MFRS are working with the National Fire Chief's Council to support further research and seek better regulation of e-bikes and e-scooters, especially in respect of better safeguards for people who use online marketplaces. Lithium-ion battery technology has many advantages and it is used across a range of products, but it provides unique fire safety challenges that must be considered as the technology becomes more commonplace. The energy expelled in failed Lithium-ion batteries can lead to particularly intense fires in the home environment, and when this happens there is an immediate and increased risk to people within the property and firefighters called to assist."

In the Merseyside Region, MFRS is seeing a growing number of fires caused by the failure of Lithium-ion batteries, particularly in e-bikes and e-scooters. While these modes of transport can provide a cheaper, more sustainable mode of transport, these fires can be particularly dangerous given the size of the batteries involved and the fact that failure often takes place while charging in people's homes.

AM Thomas continued:- "In response to the growing number of incidents our firefighters are attending involving Lithium-ion batteries, we have amended our Home Fire Safety visit to include whether residents have an e-bike or e-scooter in their home. If so, specific safety advice will be left with the householder; such as don't charge whilst you are sleeping and make sure that you don't compromise your escape route out of the property. We are speaking with our key partners and will work with local landlords and businesses, asking them to support us by sharing this messaging further, making sure we reach as many people in Merseyside as possible."

Specific safety messaging will be delivered, in the communities we serve, during our regular Home Fire Safety Check visits, and key safety advice can also be found on our website via the following link:- MerseyFire.Gov.UK and via our social media channels Facebook and Twitter, and on Instagram. Please share this advice with your family, friends, and communities to help us keep you safe.