Police officers 'did all they could' to save two men who died after chase

Mohammed Sohail Aziz, 23, and Suhail Akhtar, 20, were pronounced dead at the scene following the crash in Bradford Road, Brighouse on July 17, 2020.

The two officers who had been involved in the pursuit carried out CPR after attempting to free the men from the wreckage.

An investigation into the events leading up to the crash revealed the officers had been patrolling the area after reports of a nuisance driving when they spotted a red BMW similar to that reported to West Yorkshire Police.

They realised the car was not related to the report the force received, but continued to follow it due to concerns over how it was being driven.

The BMW then sped off, at which point the police officers put the lights and sirens on and gave chase.

It lasted for around a minute before the car crashed on Bradford Road.

The incident was reported to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in accordance with procedure.

IPOC Regional Director Miranda Biddle said: “This was a tragic incident in which two young men lost their lives and our thoughts remain with their families, friends and all those affected.

“Our investigation was independent of the police and aimed to understand events leading up to the collision. We found the officers acted appropriately and, after the collision which followed a short pursuit, did all they could to help the young men in extremely challenging circumstances.

“The evidence we gathered was provided to the coroner to assist with the inquest proceedings, which we hope has helped answer some of the families’ questions about that day.”

An inquest into the deaths of the two men concluded at Bradford Coroner's Court today (January 26), and found the men died as the result of injuries sustained in a road traffic collision.