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Scottish chief constable reported to Crown Office after road accident

Norma Graham was cautioned after the incident

A SCOTTISH chief constable has been reported to the Crown Office in connection with a road accident.

Norma Graham, Scotland’s first female chief constable, was slightly injured on Tuesday February 7 after her Audi Quattro was involved in a collision with a Renault Clio near Fife Police, HQ in Glenrothes.

The 49-year-old was taken to hospital, where insiders say she was one of two people cautioned, before being discharged hours later.

A Crown Office spokesman confirmed they had received a report from Fife Police.

He said: “We can confirm that the Procurator Fiscal for Fife has received a report concerning a 49-year-old woman in connection with an incident on February 7 2012. The report remains under the consideration of the Procurator Fiscal.

A Fife police spokesman added: “The matter is now with the Procurator Fiscal.”

Mrs Graham joined the police in 1981 and is married to a former Sergeant . She headed up Lothian and Borders drug squad and was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in 2008.

Chief

She became chief constable of Fife police in 2008.

Fife Police officers investigated the incident, which occurred just after 8am, on a 90-degree left-hand bend on the icy B922 Cluny-Kinglassie road.

Both cars were badly damaged in the accident and a Fife police spokesman at the time described the road conditions as “treacherous.”

Speaking at the time of the crash, a spokeswoman for pressure group Scotland’s Campaign against Irresponsible Driving said another force should investigate the accident.

She said: “A crash involving a chief constable should be investigated by another force or, even better, a completely independent group.

“Public confidence in the police is vital, and that would only happen in this case if there is a totally transparent inquiry.”

A witness to the aftermath of the crash said both women were lucky not to have been seriously hurt.

The man, did not wish to be named, said: “If the road is icy, it can be lethal. It doesn’t matter how slow you’re going.

“It’s hard to tell what happened in the crash. In the past, cars heading north have slid across the road as they’ve tried to take the left-hand bend, which is really tight.

“There’s a big tree there and there have been fatal crashes at the spot as drivers have misjudged the corner.

“When I arrived there were a couple of fire engines clearing everything up and the two drivers had been whisked off to hospital.

“Both cars had been pretty badly damaged and were leaking a lot of fluids on the road.

“I’m amazed the drivers weren’t more seriously injured. They were very lucky.”

Police at the scene carried out a fingertip search for Mrs Graham’s mobile phone, which contained sensitive numbers and contacts. It was found elsewhere later in the day.

The witness added: “Officers were on their hands and knees, looking on a large patch of grass.”

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