Police officers who chased a vehicle before it crashed, killing the teenage driver, have been cleared of blame by a watchdog. Devonte Scott, 18, suffered an "unsurvivable" head injury in the incident.
The teenager was driving a Ford Fiesta which was on a false number plate, and did not have a licence at the time, an inquest was told. His vehicle smashed into two cars in Urmston Lane in Stretford on the afternoon of May 16 of last year. The car had been stolen a month earlier but there was no evidence to suggest Devonte was responsible for the theft.
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has concluded officers who pursued the vehicle before it was involved in the fatal collision acted in accordance with the relevant policies and procedures.
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An inquest which concluded last week at Stockport Coroner’s Court, determined Devonte Scott, died as a result of a road traffic collision.
In a statement the IOPC said: "We received a referral from Greater Manchester Police following the incident on Sunday 16 May 2021, in Stretford, in which Mr Scott, 18, died after the Ford Fiesta he was driving hit two cars. A driver from one of the other cars involved was also taken to hospital as a precaution and treated for minor injuries.
"IOPC investigators attended the scene of the collision and obtained CCTV footage, body-worn video footage and statements from the police officers and members of the public during the course of the investigation.
"Our investigation, which concluded in December 2021, found officers in an unmarked police car became aware of the Fiesta when it overtook them and accelerated away, travelling above the speed limit for the road.
"Officers activated their lights and sirens to indicate to the driver to stop but Mr Scott failed to do so. He then turned the Fiesta around and drove off back up Urmston lane at speeds estimated by witnesses to be between 60mph and 100mph."
The car collided with two vehicles further down the road, near the junction with Ryecroft Road. The Fiesta flipped onto its roof, with Mr Scott trapped inside. The IOPC said the police car did not arrive on scene for 23 seconds following the collision, "showing that it was some distance behind the Fiesta." Once officers arrived, they immediately tried to assist Mr Scott and called for the appropriate emergency services.
The IOPC says evidence shows the officer driving was appropriately trained to an advanced level and authorised to engage in pursuits of this nature.
"We concluded that while the police presence may have affected the manner of Mr Scott’s driving, the evidence indicated the officers acted in accordance with local and national policies," said the watchdog.
IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: “This was a tragic incident in which a young man lost his life and our thoughts remain with his family, friends and all those affected.
“Our investigation found that the officers involved were appropriately-trained and driving in accordance with force and national policies during the pursuit.
“The evidence we gathered was provided to the coroner to assist with the inquest proceedings, which we hope has helped answer some of the families’ questions about that day.”
At Devonte's inquest last week Donna Scott, Devonte's mother, told the hearing her son's death had come as a 'devastating shock'. "It's just broken everybody, especially his little brother," she added.
Ms Scott revealed that her son was a keen Manchester City fan and played football himself for several teams including Sale United. She said he enjoyed cooking and was 'always smiling'. "His smile lit up the room," she added. "Devonte was a very popular person and had loads of friends. He had a nice personality and was liked by all in the community."
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