A woman in her 20s was killed and a man is fighting for his life after a car crash during a high-speed police chase.
The woman was a passenger in a white BMW M135 that reportedly failed to stop for police and drove on the wrong side of the road on the A19 dual carriageway near Sunderland during the pursuit.
The 24-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after the fatal crash by Northumbria Police.
The high-power ‘hot hatch’ car was spotted by police as a ‘vehicle of interest’ on the A184 in the Felling area of Gateshead at 2.55am on Sunday morning.
Instead of pulling over when told, the car is said to have sped off and a pursuit was authorised.
It lurched down the A184 until the junction with the A19. Police tailed the BMW up the slip road to the roundabout, where the car was seen to take the wrong exit onto the A19, going south down its northbound carriageway.
The car reportedly crashed into a grey Volkswagen Sharan travelling the correct direction, north up the road at around 3am.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger, a man in his 20s, was rushed to hospital with serious injuries, where he remains in a critical life-threatening condition.
A woman in her 20s was pronounced dead at the scene and a man in his 20s is fighting for his life in hospital. Both of them were passengers in the BMW being chased by police down the wrong side of the dual carriageway
The driver was arrested and is still in police custody.
The driver of the Volkswagen was also taken to hospital, but he did not have serious injuries.
The family of the woman have been told of her death and is being supported by specialist police officers, the force confirmed.
Northumbria Police has referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which confirmed it will be conducting an independent investigation – a common measure when a police chase ends in death or serious injuries.
The A19 was closed in both directions between the junctions of the A1231 at Hylton Grange and the A184 Testos roundabout for several hours but has since reopened.
Sergeant Greg Huntley, of Northumbria Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: ‘Firstly, our thoughts go out to the woman’s loved ones as they process this tragic news, and also to the families of those injured. A section of the A19 was closed as our officers and the IOPC carried out enquiries at the scene, but the road has since been re-opened to traffic.
‘We’d like to thank the public for their patience today while this was ongoing and would ask people to please refrain from any speculation online and in the community in the meantime.’
An IOPC spokesperson said: ‘Our investigation will look at police actions prior to the fatal collision.
‘After being notified by the force, we sent investigators to attend the scene and the police post incident procedures to begin gathering evidence and declared an independent investigation earlier today.
‘We will be contacting the woman’s family to offer our condolences and explain our role.
‘Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident.’
Detectives have put out a plea for information, asking witnesses to send a direct message on social media or report it on the force’s website. Otherwise, reports can be made by calling 101 and quoting the reference number: NP-20260301-0122.
