Watchdog seeking witnesses to double fatal crash

The crash happened at about 02:00 GMT on Grove Lane, Handsworth

A police watchdog is looking for witnesses to a crash which claimed the lives of two teenagers.

The boys, aged 16 and 17, were in a car which hit a tree in Handsworth, Birmingham, during the early hours of Thursday.

West Midlands Police referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as it had been involved in following the car earlier. The watchdog said inquiries were at an early stage, but it had spoken to people in the area and the officers involved.

Three male teenagers, passengers in the car, were taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life threatening.

The collision happened just after 02:00 on Grove Lane.

The IOPC said a police armed response vehicle which had been on a routine patrol had attempted to stop a BMW in the area, due to the manner in which it was being driven.

It said it understood that after the BMW failed to stop a short pursuit took place, but was abandoned.

A short time later "police came across the BMW which had crashed into a tree outside the Grove pub", it said.

The 17-year-old, who was a passenger in the car was confirmed dead at the scene and the 16-year-old, who was the driver, died 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."