Man dies in police pursuit crash near Stratford-upon-Avon
A 19-year-old man died and a woman in her 70s is critically injured after a police pursuit ended in a crash near Stratford-upon-Avon; the IOPC is investigating.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A 19-year-old man has died and a woman in her 70s is in a critical condition in hospital after a police pursuit ended in a crash near Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the incident.
The crash happened on the outskirts of Stratford after officers tried to stop a black Audi A3. The driver failed to pull over, and a pursuit lasting six minutes followed. The Audi left the town on the A46 before turning back and colliding with a white Ford Puma. The driver of the Audi was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ford, a woman in her 70s, remains in hospital in a critical condition. A passenger in her car was also seriously injured but not life-threatening. Several other vehicles were damaged during the pursuit.
The IOPC said the investigation was a mandatory referral from Warwickshire Police because a death had followed a police pursuit. Specially trained officers are supporting the families of those involved.
Figures from the IOPC show that deaths from pursuit-related incidents in England and Wales have fallen from 20 in 2022-23 to 11 in 2025-26.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A 19-year-old man driving a black Audi died after a crash with a white Ford Puma following a police pursuit near Stratford-upon-Avon; the woman driving the Ford Puma was critically injured. | ||||
| The IOPC has begun a mandatory investigation because a death followed a police pursuit. | · | · | ||
| Families of the man and woman are being supported by specially trained officers. | · | · | · | |
| IOPC figures show deaths from pursuit-related incidents in England and Wales have fallen from 20 in 2022-23 to 11 in 2025-26. | · | · | · | |
| The police pursuit lasted six minutes before the crash. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report focused on the IOPC investigation and the mandatory referral process, emphasising that the families of those involved are being supported by specially trained officers. It provided a timeline of the incident but did not include the age of the woman or the duration of the pursuit.
- “The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating after a man died and a woman was critically injured in a car crash following a police Pursuit near Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire”
- “That's a mandatory referral from Warwickshire Police because people have died following a police pursuit”
- “both the family of the man in the Audi the 19 year old who died and the women who were in the white Ford Puma are being looked after by specially trained officers”
The signed broadcast carried the same report as BBC ONE West, with identical details on the IOPC investigation and the support for families. It did not add new information beyond the mandatory referral.
- “The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating after a man died and a woman was critically injured in a car crash following a police Pursuit near Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire”
- “That's a mandatory referral from Warwickshire Police because people have died following a police pursuit”
- “both the family of the man in the Audi the 19 year old who died and the women who were in the white Ford Puma are being looked after by specially trained officers”
ITV News provided more specific details, including the six-minute duration of the pursuit, the model of the car (Audi A3), and the age of the woman driver (70s). It also included IOPC statistics showing a decline in pursuit-related deaths, giving a broader context on the issue.
- “warwickshire police say that officers tried to stop the 19 year old driver of an Audi a3 now the driver failed to pull over and a pursuit lasting six minutes followed it ended when the driver crashed into a white Ford puma on the outskirts of stratFord upon avon he was pronounced dead at the scene”
- “the driver of the Ford a woman in her 70s remains in hospital in a critical condition a passenger in her car also seriously injured but not life-threatening”
- “figures from the iopc show that deaths from pursuit related incidents in england and wales have fallen from 20 in 2022 3 to 11 in 2025 6”
Broadcast Timeline
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