Man dies on railway tracks after police chase in south London
The police watchdog has started an investigation
A 34-year-old man has died on railway tracks in south London after being chased by police.
Officers began pursuing a car heading towards Streatham High Road after it failed to stop at 3.26am on Wednesday.
After a short chase, the car crashed into a garden fence in Brunswick Mews in Streatham and the driver ran away but two male passengers were detained by police.
Officers lost sight of the driver and he is believed to have climbed a fence on to the railway line.
The police helicopter was called in and a search of the area was conducted. A man was seen lying on railway lines in the vicinity of Estreham Road.
Officers liaised with Network Rail and colleagues in British Transport Police to get the power to the lines turned off.
As soon as the lines were confirmed as safe, officers and paramedics approached the man who was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
The Met said both its Directorate of Professional Standards and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have been informed.
An IOPC spokesperson said: "After being notified by the MPS, we sent our investigators to the scene and the post-incident procedures to begin gathering evidence."
Other investigations linked to police chases ongoing
The watchdog is also investigating incidents in Cardiff and Greater Manchester involving teenagers who died after being followed by police.
In Cardiff, the watchdog is investigating two police officers captured on CCTV following Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, on an electric bike shortly before they died in a crash on May 22, while in Manchester it is investigating the death of 15-year-old Saul Cookson who died when his e-bike collided with an ambulance after he was followed by police on June 8.
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