Police Watchdog Seeks Witnesses to Double Fatal Crash

A police oversight body is appealing for witnesses to a collision that resulted in the deaths of two teenagers. The boys, aged 16 and 17, were occupants of a vehicle that struck a tree in Handsworth, Birmingham, during the early hours of Thursday. West Midlands Police referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to its prior involvement in pursuing the vehicle. The watchdog stated that its investigation is in its initial phases, but it has interviewed local residents and the police officers concerned. Three other male teenagers, who were passengers in the car, received hospital treatment for injuries not believed to be life-threatening. The collision occurred just after 02:00 on Grove Lane. The IOPC reported that a police armed response vehicle, which had been on a routine patrol, attempted to stop a BMW in the vicinity because of the manner in which it was being driven. It stated its understanding that after the BMW did not stop, a brief pursuit ensued before being called off. Subsequently, “police came across the BMW which had crashed into a tree outside the Grove pub,” the IOPC reported. The 17-year-old, a passenger in the car, was pronounced deceased at the scene, and the 16-year-old driver succumbed to his injuries later in hospital. IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell said: “We believe there would have been drivers and other people in that area who may have seen or heard something that might assist our investigation.”