Pedestrian dies following collision in Walker

At around 10pm yesterday police received a report of two vehicles that had been abandoned with damaged windscreens in the Walker area of Newcastle.

Police attended and carried out a number of enquiries that identified a vehicle that may have been involved in the original incident.

The vehicle, a VW Passat, was later found by officers around midnight driving in the Walker area.

Officers signalled for it to stop, and a short pursuit began, but the Passat drove off and officers lost sight of the vehicle.

A short time later officers received a report that the vehicle in question had collided with two pedestrians at the County Hotel pub on Walker Road.

At the time of the collision officers were not in pursuit of the vehicle.

Both pedestrians were taken to hospital with serious injuries. One of them, a 54-year-old man, has since sadly passed away.

Our thoughts remain with his family at this difficult time and specialist officers are supporting them as the investigation continues.

Three occupants of the vehicle were also taken to hospital, one of whom is described as suffering from serious injuries.

Enquiries into the incident are ongoing and anyone who saw what happened, or has information about the incident, should contact police on 101 quoting log 1213 23/09/18.

Police have also referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as is a matter of course in incidents of this nature