Police confirm arrest after Jewish family almost hit by driver on a pedestrian crossing
Video footage showed a car running a red light in Manchester's Broughton Park neighbourhood: GMP says arrest 'on suspicion of dangerous driving'
Police in Manchester have confirmed that an arrest has been made after video footage was widely shared on social media showing a strictly orthodox Jewish family narrowly avoiding being knocked down by a car speeding through a red light at a pedestrian crossing.
The video, which appears to be CCTV footage from a shop on Leicester Road (A576), Salford, in the heart of the Broughton Park neighbourhood, which contains one of the largest Jewish communities in the country. With a time stamp of just after 10:00 on Tuesday 19 May, it shows a white Mercedes stopped a few meters away from a pedestrian crossing on the street, yards away from the junction with Wellington Street East. The car only begins to move when the light turns red for oncoming traffic and the family begins to cross the road; only the quick reaction of those starting to cross appears to prevent them being run over.
In a statement from Greater Manchester police this afternoon, a spokesperson said: “Officers are aware of a video circulating online purporting to show an incident of dangerous driving in Salford.
“An incident of dangerous driving was reported to local officers on Leicester Road at around 5pm on Tuesday 19 May. Thankfully, no one was injured.
“A 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. He remains in police custody at this time.
“This was an isolated incident with no wider threat to the public.
“Incidents such as these will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester and will be fully investigated by our officers.”
A spokesperson for the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region said: “We are aware of a video circulating of a vehicle driving towards Jewish people at the heart of the Jewish community in Greater Manchester.
“This must be seen in the context of the record levels of antisemitism being experienced by our community resulting in a deadly terrorist attack very close to this incident. As always, we are fortunate to be able to rely upon Greater Manchester Police who have yet again demonstrated their determination to protect our community from those who seek to cause harm.”
In a similar vein, a CST spokesperson confirmed their awareness of the footage and confirmed that it was assisting the police with their investigation. The spokesperson went on to say: “We understand that a male has been arrested, and we thank the police for their swift response and for taking this matter so seriously.”
While the police have confirmed the isolated nature of the incident, Jewish communities around the country are on high alert after a series of attacks and instances of overt antisemitism. Two weeks ago a man was arrested on Northumberland Street, a few hundred yards from where yesterday’s near-collision took place, after allegedly making violent threats towards Jews, including references to Nazis and gas chambers.
Last month, the government confirmed that an extra £5 million would be going towards the Met police and GMP to tackle antisemitism. London and Manchester are the two cities with the largest Jewish populations in the UK.
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