Man, 23, charged after police officer hit by car during Midlothian traffic stop
Man arrested and charged following Saturday morning incident near Pathhead
A police officer has been taken to hospital after being struck by a car whose driver was allegedly attempting to flee a traffic stop in Midlothian.
A 23-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the incident, which saw officers deploy a stinger device across a major route.
The incident occurred at around 8.15am on Saturday when a car was pulled over by officers on the A68, just north of Pathhead.
Police Scotland said the driver attempted to make off from the scene, colliding with an officer in the process.
The officer was transported to hospital for treatment, though their current condition is unknown. The driver of the vehicle was also taken to hospital to be checked over.
A 23-year-old man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, November 9.
Eyewitness Roger Spark, from Kelso, described seeing police use a stinger device to halt the fleeing vehicle and later witnessing an arrest.
He said: “I was travelling north on the A68 this morning south of Pathhead when the police deployed a stinger across the A68 from the B6485 junction for Vineyard Business Centre.
“The stinger was deployed right in front of me, I’m glad I stopped before it. A car sped over and the police pulled in the stinger.
“A number of blue lights were in the vicinity and were attending an incident just south of the Fordel junction when we got there.
“We saw someone being apprehended by the police, but didn’t see the vehicle. We had to make a detour.”
The incident resulted in the closure of the A68 southbound heading into Pathhead for several hours on Saturday morning, before the route was reopened to traffic later in the afternoon.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 8.15am on Saturday, 7 November, a car was stopped by officers on the A68 near Pathhead, Midlothian.
“The driver tried to make off and collided with a police officer. The police officer was taken to hospital for treatment.
“A 23-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection and due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 9 November, 2026.”