Mum's horror after car hit by suspect and police vehicle during Peterborough pursuit

A mum has spoken of her horror after the car her family were travelling was hit by a police car during a late night pursuit in Peterborough.

Nazhra Shahzad was travelling with her husband, two adult daughters, 17-year-old son and seven year old daughter on Elmfield Road when their car was struck twice, firstly by a car being pursued by police officers, and secondly by a police car at about 1.30am on Sunday, July 24.

Following the pursuit, one man was arrested on suspicion of supplying a class A drug

The family were trapped in the car, which was left tilted at an angle following the crash, and they had to be rescued by being pulled from the windows.

Nazhra’s eldest daughter still needs crutches following the incident.

Police have said an investigation has been launched following the collision.

We saw blue flashing lights coming towards us

Speaking to The Peterborough Telegraph, Nazhra said: “We were travelling home after a day out. We were only a couple of minutes away, when we saw lights coming towards us.

"The car hit our car, taking the rear wheel off our car and spinning us round.

"Then we saw the flashing blue lights coming towards us. We couldn’t do anything, and the police car hit us, and we hit a parked car, lifting us up an an angle.

"I was just trying to check my children were OK. My eldest daughter was in a lot of pain.

I saw smoke and thought the car was going to catch fire

"I thought I saw smoke in the car, and I thought the car was going to catch fire, or the police car – which was under our car – was on fire. It was very scary. The smoke turned out to be from the airbags going off, but we didn’t know that at the time.

“We were taken out the windows of the car, but we had to wait for the fire service to come and get my daughter out.”

The family were taken to hospital in police cars, where they were checked over by medics – with the eldest daughter taken for an x-ray on her leg.

We are all still on painkillers

Nazhra said the family were still suffering from the effects of the crash.

She said: “We are all still on painkillers. My daughter is still finding it very difficult to walk, and is still on crutches.

"It does traumatise you. We have not been in a car since, and I am worried about what will happen when we see cars coming towards us again.

"My youngest daughter told one of her sisters that she ‘thought mummy was going to die.’"

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: “I can confirm there was a collision involving a police car and that minor injuries were reported. One person was taken to hospital in a police car.. An investigation is ongoing.”

The arrested man, aged 20, has been bailed until September 1.