Man dies in crash after police pursuit

A man has died and two women have been injured in a crash that followed a police pursuit near Stratford-upon-Avon.

Officers tried to stop a black Audi on Birmingham Road shortly before 17:30 BST on Monday but the driver failed to pull over, Warwickshire Police said.

A pursuit began and 15 minutes later the Audi crashed into a white Ford Puma, the force said, with the Audi's male driver confirmed dead at the scene by paramedics.

The driver of the Ford, a woman, was seriously injured and remains in hospital in critical condition, while injuries to a second woman - her passenger - were serious but not believed to be life-threatening. An investigation by the police watchdog is under way.

Officers said after failing to stop, the Audi made off in the direction of the A46 before travelling back towards Stratford on the A439 Warwick Road where the crash occurred.

The A439 Warwick Road remains shut from the Marraway roundabout to its junction with Ingon Lane and Sand Barn Lane.

Warwickshire Police said the road was likely to remain closed for some time with drivers being advised to use alternative routes.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service said paramedics found four patients at the scene.

They included a man who was in a critical condition to whom crews gave advanced life support.

"Despite their best efforts, it became clear that nothing more could be done to save him and he was confirmed deceased by ambulance staff at the scene," the spokesperson said.

A woman who was driving the second car suffered life-threatening injuries, the ambulance service confirmed, and was taken to hospital. She was said by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to be in her 70s.

A female passenger in the vehicle was also seriously hurt and taken to hospital, although her condition was not thought by the ambulance service to be life-threatening.

Injuries to another patient from the car were not believed to be serious.

Supt Steve Flavell said: "Our thoughts are with the families of everyone involved in this collision and we're providing specialist support to them at this extremely difficult time.