Police name three teenagers who died after car entered River Wear
Northumbria Police have identified Jackson Duke, Luke Etheridge and Zara Shaw as the teenagers who died after a black Audi A3 left the road near Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland and entered the River Wear. A fourth occupant survived and was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Police have named three teenagers who died after the car they were travelling in entered the River Wear in Sunderland, north-east England. Northumbria Police said a black Audi A3 came off the road at Panns Bank, near Wearmouth Bridge, shortly before 13:30 BST on Tuesday. Four people were in the vehicle at the time.
The force identified the dead as Jackson Duke, 17, and Luke Etheridge and Zara Shaw, both 16. Jackson and Luke were from Sunderland, while Zara was from Houghton-le-Spring. A fourth occupant, a 17-year-old boy, reached safety.
Police said he was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The investigation is continuing, including work to establish who was driving when the car entered the water. Police divers remained at the scene as officers examined the circumstances of the incident.
No conclusion about the cause of the crash has been given in the supplied material. Ch Supt Scott Cowie, Sunderland’s area commander, said the victims’ families had experienced “unimaginable agony and heartbreak”. He said the three teenagers had their whole futures ahead of them and would be greatly missed.
Sunderland College said it was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of three of its students. In a statement published on Facebook, the college offered condolences to their families and friends and described the incident as a heartbreaking loss for the college community and the wider city. The arrested teenager’s status and any further police action were not provided.
Investigations, including the work of police divers, are ongoing.
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