Three teenagers die after car enters River Wear
Three teenagers died after a black Audi A3 left the road near Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland and entered the River Wear, Northumbria Police said. A fourth occupant, a 17-year-old boy, reached safety and was taken to hospital with non-serious injuries. He was later arrested in connection with the incident.
Three teenagers have died after a car left the road and entered the River Wear in Sunderland, Northumbria Police said. The black Audi A3 came off the road at Panns Bank near Wearmouth Bridge shortly before 13:30 BST. Four people were in the vehicle at the time.
A 17-year-old boy managed to reach safety. He was taken to hospital with non-serious injuries and was subsequently arrested in connection with the incident, police said. The bodies of two teenage boys and a teenage girl were recovered from the water.
Police said they did not believe any other vehicles were involved. Chief Superintendent Scott Cowie, the area commander for Sunderland, described the incident as truly tragic and said investigators were working to establish what had happened. The investigation remains at an early stage.
Members of the public were asked to avoid the area while emergency services responded. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, the North East Ambulance Service and RNLI teams assisted with rescue efforts. A large emergency response was deployed at the scene.
Sunderland AFC expressed sympathy for the families and friends of those who died and paid tribute to the emergency services. North East mayor Kim McGuinness said she had asked the incident commander to keep her updated, while Sunderland Central MP Lewis Atkinson also offered condolences. Police have not released the identities of the victims in the supplied material.
The circumstances leading to the car entering the river have not yet been established.
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