South Wales Police has released a timeline of events in the moments up to and including a fatal crash which left two teenagers dead. Harvey Evans, 15, and Kyrees Sullivan, 16, were killed on Monday night after they were involved in a crash while riding an electric bike in the Ely area of Cardiff.
There have been claims the boys were being chased by police, but South Wales Police has said the collision had already occurred when officers arrived and that rumours there had been a police chase were false. However, on Tuesday South Wales Police Chief Superintendent Martyn Stone said CCTV footage showing an electric bike being followed by a police van had emerged and would "form part of the investigation". He appealed for anyone with any more footage to get in touch.
Today - Wednesday, May 24, police held a press conference in Bridgend on the tragedy and the widespread rioting that followed in the community. They also released a statement with more information. You can get more Cardiff news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Read more: Police boss stands by claim that teenagers killed in Ely crash were not being chased
The statement read: "On Monday evening a serious road traffic collision happened in Snowden Road, Ely which tragically claimed the lives of Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans, two friends who lived in the community of Ely.
"Our thoughts are with the families and friends of Kyrees and Harvey and everyone affected by this terrible incident. We can only begin to imagine the grief they are experiencing at this time. The families continue to be supported and updated by family liaison officers.
"I am aware of concerns in the local community regarding the timeline of events which culminated in the fatal collision, including CCTV footage which shows a police vehicle following a bike in Frank road.
"Therefore, I want to confirm the timeline of events which took place. We would have liked to have provided this level of information yesterday, but this is a complex investigation and we had to be sure of these facts before confirming them.
"We have been confirming that we have clear witness accounts, analysing tracking data from police vehicles and studying CCTV and this is what we now know:
17:59.40 - CCTV shows the bike travelling towards the police vehicle in Frank Road. The bike then turns around.
18:00.52 - The bike is followed by the police vehicle, which you have already seen on CCTV images. Blue lights or sirens were not illuminated.
18:01.18 - Police vehicle is at New Ely Church roundabout and travels through Archer Road, Stanway Road and Howell Road.
18:02.31 - Police vehicle turns onto Grand Avenue.
18:02.17 - 18:02.41 approximate time of the road traffic collision in Snowden Road. At the time of the collision, the police van is in Grand Avenue, half a mile away from Snowden Road.
18:06.59 - The police vehicle is on Cowbridge Road West when it receives information about a road traffic collision, illuminates blue lights and makes its way to the collision scene.
"There was no police vehicle in Snowden Road at the time of the collision and we believe there were no other vehicles involved in the incident. We have made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to ensure the matter receives independent scrutiny. We will provide them with all the information we have, and they will undertake an independent investigation.
"Nothing can excuse the level of violence and disorder which followed in the community. Property was damaged and people were scared in their own homes. Our focus now is to fully investigate the circumstances of the collision and the appalling scenes that followed.
"We are appealing for witnesses, information, and footage from mobile phones and social media. We have already recovered around 180 pieces of body worn footage from police officers at the scene and this number is expected to grow. Officers are also going through hundreds of hours of public CCTV and videos posted on social media.
"Anyone who has footage of Monday’s events can upload it via a link on our website. We are extremely grateful for the support from the community so far and urge anyone with information to contact South Wales Police. Information and digital footage can be submitted online via a public portal. Alternatively, please contact South Wales Police quoting 2300166555."
The families of the victims of the crash have paid tribute to the 'best friends' today and released photographs. You can read more on that here.
The IOPC has said it will be examining any interaction between the police and the boys. IOPC director David Ford said: “First and foremost our thoughts and sympathies go out to the families and friends of the two boys who sadly lost their lives on Monday evening in Ely. It is important that we independently investigate the circumstances leading up to this tragic event. This incident and the events that followed have, understandably, attracted significant interest and public concern. It is important that we thoroughly and independently investigate this matter, in order to establish the full facts and circumstances of exactly what happened on Monday.”
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