PC David Whittle and PC John Bromilow

The following information is taken from the Evening Telegraph Monday 13th August 1979.

PC David Whittle and John Bromilow died after their panda car collided head on with a lorry on Bolton Road and the junction of Infirmary Road travelling towards Blackburn. The civilian passenger in the rear of the car received minor injuries and the lorry driver Mr Slater was unhurt.

A taxi driver David Henderson was one of the first on the scene and used his radio to ensure that an ambulance was on its way.

David Whittle had been a member of the police cadets before joining the uniformed patrol branch after leaving school. David had handed in his notice two days before the accident as he intended to travel the world and was planning to visit Israel for 6 months in the next year.

John Bromilow was also a member of the police cadets before joining the force. Johns father Max, was a constable serving at Clitheroe and Johns brother Stephen was a PC serving at Accrington at the time of the accident.

The ambulance was at the scene three minutes after the call was received and ambulance driver and his colleagues used a fire extinguisher on the patrol car engine and forced the doors to the vehicle to recover the officers and the passenger.

Unfortunately PC David Whittle was pronounced dead and PC John Bromilow was rushed to hospital and was in intensive care but sadly died the day after the crash.

John Bromilow      David Whittle