A POLICE car heading to the scene of a fatal crash hit another vehicle, injuring the driver and her daughter, it has emerged.

The accident happened on Wednesday at 4.10pm on the B1283 in Sherburn Village, County Durham.

The police BMW was heading to the scene of the collision between two buses at Newfield, near Chester-le-Street, in which one driver died.

A Durham force spokesman said: "The police vehicle, which had its emergency lights and siren on, was heading along the B1283 in Sherburn Village when it moved into the offside to overtake a line of vehicles. As it did so, the car collided heavily with the rear offside of a Vauxhall Astra.

"The driver of the Astra, a 28-year-old woman from Bowburn was treated at Durham's University Hospital for a minor leg injury.

"Her children, a four-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl, also went to hospital where it was confirmed the girl had a broken leg.

"The police driver and his passenger, both of them constables with the north area road policing unit, were unhurt and were able to continue their tour of duty."

A number of witnesses have already been in touch with the police, but anyone else who saw what happened is asked to ring the non-emergency number 0345-60-60-365.