'Our greatest pride': Parents pay tribute to police officer daughter, 19, killed in line of duty

The parents of a teenage police officer who died after being struck by a car have told of their pride and devastation as they paid tribute to their "beautiful daughter".

PC Jess Turnbull, 19, joined Northumbria Police last September and had followed her father into working for the force.

The officer, who was an only child, was fatally injured as she was responding to a collision near Cramlington, Northumberland, late on the night of Monday 8 June.

The vehicle that struck her was unconnected to the original incident.

PC Turnbull died in hospital last Wednesday surrounded by her loved ones.

In a statement, her parents Janice and Andy Turnbull said: "As a family, we are utterly devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Jess, who tragically died following a road traffic collision at just 19 years old.

"Jess was our only child and from the moment she came into our lives she brought happiness, laughter and love into every day.

"The hole she leaves in our lives is impossible to put into words. Jess and her mum, Janice, shared a bond that was truly special. They were not only mother and daughter, but best friends.

"They loved spending time together, whether that was shopping, chatting for hours or simply enjoying each other's company.

"They shared countless memories that Janice will treasure forever."

PC Turnbull's parents continued: "One of Jess's proudest achievements was becoming a police officer. She absolutely loved serving her community and was incredibly proud to wear the uniform.

"Following in the footsteps of her dad, Andy, was something she had always dreamed of doing, and seeing her achieve that ambition filled us both with immense pride. Policing was not just a job to Jess, it was a calling.

"She cared deeply about helping people and making a difference, and she approached every day with enthusiasm, compassion and professionalism."

The parents said that, as a child, their daughter played football and competed in swimming, and later volunteered as a football coach. She found love with her boyfriend, Dan, and he "brought so much joy to her life", they said.

The family thanked the wider community for their support, adding: "Jess was, and always will be, our greatest pride and our greatest joy."

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The teenage officer had been called to a collision involving two cars, with the occupants of one of the cars fleeing the scene, on the A189 near Cramlington, Northumberland, at around 11.10pm on 8 June.

Northumbria Police said that while she was out of her marked police vehicle at the scene, PC Turnbull was struck by a black Mercedes CLC that was unconnected to the original incident.

Following Jess's death, Northumbria Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine paid tribute to the young officer.

She said: "This is an extremely tragic incident where Jess lost her life in the line of duty while serving and protecting our communities.

"Policing is a family and we are mourning the passing of not only a colleague and a friend but also our own family member, and we will continue to support each other during this extremely difficult time."

She added that the PC still had "so much still to look forward to in her career and life," and that she had "made the ultimate sacrifice and that will never be forgotten".

A 73-year-old Mercedes driver has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and bailed.

Officers continue to investigate what happened and asked anyone with information to come forward.

(c) Sky News 2026: 'Our greatest pride': Parents pay tribute to police officer daughter, 19, killed in line of duty