THE Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has issued a statement after the conclusion of an inquest into the death of two young men in a horror crash in Brighouse. 

Mohammed Sohail Aziz, 23, and Suhail Ahmad Akhtar, 20, were both killed when the red BMW they were travelling in crashed into a road barrier in Bradford Road, Brighouse.

The crash happened a short time after police had begun a pursuit of the vehicle in the early hours of July 17, 2020.

An inquest into the Dewsbury men's deaths, held at Bradford Coroners' Court today, found the pursuit was appropriate and did not play a direct role in the collision.

The IOPC investigation found police officers who pursued the car acted in accordance with the relevant policies.

A spokesperson said: "We received a referral from West Yorkshire Police following an incident in Brighouse on July 17, 2020, when a red BMW collided with a wall and railings, killing the two men inside.

"We reviewed footage from officers’ body-worn video cameras, as well as CCTV in the area, and obtained statements from the officers involved, control room staff and paramedics who attended the scene.

"The investigation, which concluded in July 2021, found the officers were patrolling an area of Huddersfield following reports of nuisance driving in the area. They saw a red BMW that was similar to the description of one of the cars involved and began to follow it.

"The officers realised the vehicle was not connected to the earlier report but due to concerns about the manner of driving, they continued to follow it. At one stage, the BMW sped off, at which point the officers activated their vehicle’s lights and siren.

"The pursuit lasted around a minute, before the BMW crashed on Bradford Road. Officers attempted to assist the two men, who were trapped inside, but due to the heavy damage to the car struggled to gain access. 

"They carried out CPR and were assisted by the fire and ambulance services once they arrived. The men, Mohammed Sohail Aziz, 23, and Suhail Akhtar, 20, were pronounced dead at the scene.

"Following an inquest, which concluded today at Bradford Coroner’s Court, the coroner found the men died as a result of injuries sustained in a road traffic collision."

IOPC 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.”