AN inquest into the high speed crash that killed an undercover police officer is continuing today.

PC Steve Rawson was working undercover for Hampshire police when his motorcycle collided with a BMW on Thomas Lewis Way in Southampton with such force that the car spun around.

The inquest into the death of the 40-year-old, which began yesterday, heard PC Rawson had been riding at speeds of up to 100mph.

Jurors were told how his fellow officers rushed to his side within seconds to try to save his life.

But despite their best efforts, the dad-of-two from Bishopstoke arrived at Southampton General Hospital not breathing and in cardiac arrest.

Inspector Richard Parsons, head of the road death investigation team, told the hearing in Southampton how trauma medics in the emergency department battled for 45 minutes to restart his heart but nothing could be done to save him.

He also told how officers went to the aid of the driver of the silver BMW, Michal Pliszczynski, who had suffered serious injuries, most notably to his back and ribs.

Inspector Parsons said it was unlikely that the driver had been distracted by a missed call on his mobile phone as it was found in his trouser pocket on silent and had no vibrate function.

He added: “It was highly likely that he was unaware of the missed call.”

Incident At the beginning of the hearing, coroner for Southampton and the New Forest, Grahame Short, told the jury of six women and five men that the incident had happened close to the Shell garage on April 3 last year.

Proceeding