Baby among four killed in police chase tragedy
THIS is the scene of devastation yesterday after a horrific crash in which a car being pursued by police ploughed into another vehicle – killing four people including a one-year-old baby.
A Volkswagen Touran was carrying seven people, including two children, when it was hit by the speeding VW Golf in Sheffield on Friday night. A police BMW was in pursuit of the Golf at the time of the collision.
Two men aged 35 and 50 and a 41-year-old woman who were in the Touran were pronounced dead at the scene.
The one-year-old boy who was also in the vehicle was taken to hospital where he later died.
Three other people in the Touran were hurt, including a threeyear-old girl with life-threatening injuries, a 22-year-old woman in a critical condition and another woman who was last night said to be serious but stable.
It is understood two families were travelling in the Touran at the time of the crash. The three men – aged 23, 17 and 18 – who were in the Golf suffered minor injuries and were all arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. They remained in custody last night.
Stuart Barton, South Yorks hi r e Police’s District Commander f or Sheffi el d, s ai d t hat t he i ncident had been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for investigation.
He said: ‘There has been a short pursuit. Clearly in these situations it is right that we refer the matter to the IOPC.
‘They attended the scene themselves last night.’
Photos showed the badly damaged Touran with its roof and doors ripped off and crash damage from being forced into cars parked on the roadside.
The Golf had mounted the pavement opposite the other vehicle with its airbags inflated. Adam Robinson, who lives just three doors away from the crash site, said the emergency services were quick to reach the scene.
The 24- year- old warehouse worker said: ‘I heard the sirens and saw the lights. The emergency services were rapid, they were so fast. I heard sirens coming up and down the road.
‘Everyone was watching and recording what was going on, everybody rushed out. People were running down the road.’
The stretch of road in the Darnall area of the city where the crash happened was reopened last night.
The IOPC confirmed it had already reviewed dashboard camera footage of the crash from the police car.
Regional director Miranda Biddle said: ‘We have been able to view dashcam footage which confirms that although a pursuit did take place prior to the crash, there is no indication that the police vehicle collided with either of the vehicles involved.’