Egerton car crash leaves one teenager dead and three seriously injured

5 July 2020, 19:19

A 17-year-old girl has died and three other teenagers are seriously hurt after a car crash in Kent.

Kent Police officers are being investigated after a teenage girl died in a car crash on Saturday night.

A 17-year-old girl from Ashford died, and three others were seriously injured, after their car collided with a garden tree at around 8.20pm.

Kent Police force made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following the incident, due to a police vehicle being in close proximity at the time of the collision.

The Silver Suzuki Swift was carrying six people when it crashed on Mundy Bois Road in Egerton.

A 19-year-old man, an 18-year-old man and another 17-year-old girl, were all taken to a London hospital where they remain in a serious but stable condition.

Officers have arrested a 19-year-old man from Ashford and a 17-year-old girl from Maidstone, both of whom had previously been discharged from hospital, on suspicion of driving offences.

Both remain in custody while inquiries into the incident continue.

An IOPC spokesman confirmed the organisation is investigating the officers.

A statement said: "Police on patrol in a marked vehicle saw a vehicle containing six people that then headed off at speed.

"The police vehicle turned around to follow the vehicle and found it had crashed. Officers called the ambulance service and gave medical assistance at the scene."

The IOPC added: "Our investigators attended the scene of the collision and attended the post-incident procedures. Part of our investigation will be to establish whether or not the police were actively pursuing the vehicle.

"Our thoughts are with the family of the young woman who has died and all of those affected."