A police officer suspected of causing death by reckless driving after a pedestrian was struck by a patrol car has been cleared.
During a hearing at the Old Bailey in London, Sussex PC Christopher Corker, 40, had his charges withdrawn.
On August 30, 2024, he allegedly knocked down and killed Arthur Holscher-Ermert, 27, in Peacehaven.
However, at a previous hearing, the prosecution stated that in light of expert reports, there was no longer a reasonable chance of conviction.
Mr Holscher-Ermert was struck shortly after 23:10 BST and pronounced dead on the scene.
A video of the incident was produced in court at a previous hearing.
PC Corker, from Worthing in West Sussex, has pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.
He was scheduled to stand trial on Monday.
However, prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC did not present any evidence at Monday’s hearing before Judge Richard Marks KC, claiming that in light of expert opinions, a conviction was no longer possible.
It was claimed that PC Corker intentionally drove on the wrong side of the road towards the pedestrian in a “misguided and dangerous attempt to stop him running away”.
However, the court was informed of an agreement among experts that the defendant’s actions in steering onto the wrong side of the road would have avoided a collision if the deceased had not changed direction.
Judge Marks formally entered not guilty verdicts and expressed sympathies to the family, stating, “It appears to have been a tragic accident.”
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