The police watchdog has been informed by Durham Constabulary of the incident which saw one man die and another critically injured after a motorbike crash in Peterlee.
Lee Stevenson, 27, was the pillion passenger on the motorbike and was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident, in Passfield Way. The driver of the motorbike remains in a critical condition in hospital.
On Sunday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed the police had informed it of the crash - which took place "following a brief pursuit by officers after it [the motorbike] failed to stop". Police forces are required by law to refer incidents to the watchdog for assessment "if someone had direct or indirect contact with the police when, or shortly before, they were seriously injured or died".
