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Three die in police pursuit crash | Three die in police pursuit crash |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Three people were killed when their car crashed into a garden wall during a police pursuit in Greater Manchester. | |
A fourth person in the Vauxhall Vectra was badly injured in the crash, which happened in Middleton Road, Chadderton, near Oldham, in the early hours. | |
A police patrol stopped the car after it ran a red light in Oldham, before starting a pursuit when the driver drove off at high speed. | |
Police said the car went out of control and overturned about two minutes later. | |
Two men and one woman were killed in the crash. Another woman was seriously injured and is said to be in a critical condition in hospital. | |
Middleton Road, at its junctions with Broadway and Hunt Lane, has been closed for investigations into the crash. | Middleton Road, at its junctions with Broadway and Hunt Lane, has been closed for investigations into the crash. |
To be honest, it sounded like a bomb was going off Matthew Tipton, witness | To be honest, it sounded like a bomb was going off Matthew Tipton, witness |
On Sunday morning a number of police officers remained at the scene, about two miles away from Oldham town centre where the pursuit began. | |
Forensic officers also examined the overturned wreckage, which was taken away by a recovery vehicle at about 100 GMT. | |
Matthew Tipton, 28, lives near the crash scene and said he was woken by police sirens, followed by what sounded like a "really loud explosion". | |
"To be honest, it sounded like a bomb was going off," he told the BBC. | "To be honest, it sounded like a bomb was going off," he told the BBC. |
"They must have been going at some speed because the rise in the road at the junction is bad enough when you're going at normal speed." | "They must have been going at some speed because the rise in the road at the junction is bad enough when you're going at normal speed." |
The front garden wall on an end-of-terrace house was destroyed by the crash. The walls of two neighbouring properties were also damaged. | The front garden wall on an end-of-terrace house was destroyed by the crash. The walls of two neighbouring properties were also damaged. |
Gareth Burns said the crash "shook the whole house" | |
The main impact was at the home of Gareth Burns, 33, who lives in Middleton Road with his wife, Vicki, also 33, and their two young children. | |
He said: "The police sirens woke my wife and she woke me up. Seconds later we heard a crash and the whole house shook. | |
"There is a dip in the road at the junction with Broadway and you can feel it when you're doing 30mph. If you were doing excessive speed you would probably go airborne." | |
Mr Burns said the bay window of his house had been dislodged and his front garden had been destroyed. | |
His next door neighbour and father-in-law, Jimmy Gray, 54, said it was about the sixth crash on the road in the last two years. | |
He said he came outside to find the wreckage "smoking and smouldering". | |
"I thought to myself, 'they're not going to be alive', but the police told me one of them survived. She is very lucky if she comes through this." | |
Considerable speed | |
Speaking at the scene, Supt Alan Greene said the victims appeared to be "quite young" in age and were believed to be from the local area. | Speaking at the scene, Supt Alan Greene said the victims appeared to be "quite young" in age and were believed to be from the local area. |
Describing events leading up to the crash, the superintendent said the car had initially stopped for the patrol car but then sped off. | Describing events leading up to the crash, the superintendent said the car had initially stopped for the patrol car but then sped off. |
"The officer pursued it but the vehicle was going at a considerable speed and was getting away from the officer," said Mr Greene. | "The officer pursued it but the vehicle was going at a considerable speed and was getting away from the officer," said Mr Greene. |
"The pursuit was for less than two minutes and the vehicle was very determined to get away. | "The pursuit was for less than two minutes and the vehicle was very determined to get away. |
"The police officer by the time of the impact was a considerable distance back because the vehicle had been going at such speed." | "The police officer by the time of the impact was a considerable distance back because the vehicle had been going at such speed." |
The matter has been referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), because of the police involvement. | |
Greater Manchester Police's Professional Standards Branch has also been made aware of the crash. | Greater Manchester Police's Professional Standards Branch has also been made aware of the crash. |