A young police officer has died after being struck by a car while she was on duty in north-east England, in a loss that has shaken her force. Northumbria Police confirmed that the officer, 19-year-old Jess Turnbull, was killed in the course of her work, only months after she had joined the service.
The circumstances point to the dangers officers can face even at the scene of an ordinary incident. Constable Turnbull had been called out to a collision near Cramlington, in Northumberland, late on Monday night, at around eleven o'clock. She was responding to that earlier crash when she herself was struck by a car.
She had been in the job only a short time. Turnbull had joined Northumbria Police in September, making her one of the force's newest officers at the time she was killed. Her death came barely months into a policing career that was only just beginning.
Despite efforts to help her, the injuries she suffered proved fatal. The force said the officer was taken to hospital, where she later died surrounded by her loved ones. The confirmation of her death was delivered by senior officers, who spoke of the depth of the loss being felt across the service.
Colleagues remembered her in warm terms. The force described Turnbull as a dedicated and committed officer, framing her loss around how she had served rather than only how she died. The tribute reflected the impact her death has had on those who worked alongside her.
The collision that killed her has become the subject of a criminal investigation. A man was arrested in connection with the incident, with officers examining how the constable came to be struck while she was at the scene of the earlier crash. Inquiries into exactly what happened were continuing.
Her death is a rare and devastating event for the force. The loss of an officer on duty in the area is something that has not happened for many years, underlining the gravity of what has occurred. For now, Northumbria Police, along with Turnbull's family and colleagues, are left to grieve a life cut short in service.