Four arrests after Audi A3 pursued by police crashed into vehicle in which woman was travelling

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A woman has died after the car she was in collided with a vehicle being chased by police in Birmingham.

Police began to pursue a black Audi A3 at 8.20pm on Sunday, believing the vehicle to have been stolen. After a short chase the Audi collided with another car in the Kingstanding area of the city.

A man and a woman who were in the third vehicle sustained serious injuries. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The four people who were in the Audi were arrested by police and taken to hospital to receive treatment for injuries.

The incident has been referred to West Midlands police’s professional standards department and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), as is routine when someone dies following a police operation.

Kingsland Road, where the crash took place, was closed overnight to allow for forensic inquiries.

Speaking to BirminghamLive, one resident said they had attempted first aid on the woman but that she had gone into cardiac arrest. “I just tried my hardest to wake her and I couldn’t,” they said.

A West Midlands ambulance service spokesman said that two ambulances, a paramedic officer, a trauma doctor and critical care paramedic were dispatched to the scene, where they found two cars that had suffered significant damage.

“A woman and a man were in the first vehicle. The woman was rapidly extracted from the vehicle and resuscitation carried out along with advanced life support but sadly it was not possible to save her and she was confirmed dead at the scene,” read the statement.

“The driver in the car initially had a reduced level of consciousness and was trapped for a short period. Firefighters removed the roof to allow ambulance staff to extricate him.

“He had suffered multiple injuries, though he regained full consciousness while being treated. He was immobilised and had a pelvic binder put in place before being taken on blue lights to the major trauma centre at Queen Elizabeth hospital Birmingham.

“A man in his 20s from the Audi involved in the crash suffered multiple injuries. He was anaesthetised at the scene and was immobilised before being taken on blue lights to the same hospital; the doctor and critical care paramedic travelled with the ambulance crew.”