‘Golden Girls’ aged 81 to 93 trapped after crash with car that sped off from police

The group, aged 81 to 93, were on their way back from having afternoon tea in Otley on Sunday evening when a Vauxhall Insignia smashed into their Ford Fusion on Otley Old Road in Cookridge.

The impact left the car on its side, but the driver of the other car then drove off.

The women had to be freed from their car by firefighters and were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Police later arrested a 54-year-old man on suspicion of dangerous driving.

A relative of one of the victims said: “They’re like the Golden Girls. If they could get hold of the other driver there’s no telling what they’d do.”

The incident happened shortly before 7pm on Sunday after police received a call from a motorist reporting another vehicle being driven erratically in Fink Hill, Horsforth.

Officers spotted the Vauxhall Insignia in Iveson Drive, Holt Park, a short time later and signalled for it to stop but the car drove off out of sight of police before hitting the car carrying the elderly women.

A section of Otley Old Road was subsequently closed while the scene was examined. The arrested man remained in custody yesterday.

West Yorkshire Police said given the circumstances leading up to the crash, the Independent Police Complaints Commission was informed but decided it did not need to investigate.