Four dead in Bradford police chase crash are named
- Published
The men who died in the crash were, clockwise from top left: Zeeshan Khalid, Tayyab Siddique, Arbaaz Hussain and Murtza Chaudhry
Four people who died in a car crash during a police pursuit in Bradford on Thursday have been named.
Murtza Chaudhry, 21, Arbaaz Hussain also 21, Zeeshan Khalid, 20 and Tayyab Siddique, 22, all from Bradford, died in the crash.
The BMW the men were in was being followed by officers on Bingley Road before it crashed into a tree at the junction with Toller Lane at 05:30 BST.
All four men died at the scene, investigators confirmed.
The crash was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) whose Regional Director Miranda Biddle said: "We have support in place for the families of those who have died.
"We have met with them to discuss our investigation and we will continue to update them about our work."
Residents woke up to a "loud bang" and saw the crashed grey BMW near a tree
One local resident, who said his name was Zaff, told the BBC on Thursday he heard "a loud screeching followed by a loud bang".
It was later confirmed an unmarked West Yorkshire Police car was following the grey BMW.
The IOPC said: "We are aware that there is some concern that the police vehicle made contact with the BMW prior to the crash.
"Having reviewed some of the evidence already, we can confirm there is no indication of this.
"We can also confirm the time between the police car first having sight of the BMW and the collision with the tree is approximately one minute according to the evidence we have analysed so far.
"Our investigation will focus on the circumstances of the pursuit and the actions of the officers involved, who are all being treated as witnesses."
Mark Burns-Williamson, the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, said he is in liaison with both West Yorkshire Police and the IOPC to "ensure the investigation into the incident is completed as appropriately and sympathetically as possible".
- Published2 August 2018
