Footage has been released of a stolen BMW that crashed into a care home while it was being chased by a police car in Sunderland – an incident the watchdog has described as a “terrifying”.
The vehicle rammed into Highcliffe Care Home in Witherwack, Sunderland, on 10 July, causing structural damage.
Eight residents were taken to hospital, and Northumbria Police said a woman in her 90s and another in her 80s died shortly after the crash.
An official investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into the police pursuit found officers from Northumbria Police behaved in an “exemplary manner”.
Despite police driving at speeds reaching more than 100mph, the IOPC judged the risk to be justified.
“This must have been a terrifying incident,” IOPC director Emily Barry said in a statement.
“Our independent investigation has made clear that the responsibility for this collision, and the resulting injuries, lies solely with the BMW driver.
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“The evidence shows that, despite being faced with an extremely challenging situation, all officers involved acted in an exemplary manner.”
The care home had to be evacuated due to the structural damage, which caused a ceiling to collapse.
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Sam Asgari-Tabar, 21, of no fixed address, was jailed for five years and eight months at Newcastle Crown Court in November.
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He pleaded guilty to robbery and causing serious injury by dangerous driving after stealing the BMW during a test drive in Newcastle.
Reece Parish, 21, of Fordham Road, Sunderland, was jailed for 19 months after pleading guilty to robbery.
He was also sentenced to a further 18 months for violent disorder in Sunderland during last summer’s riots.
Both men did not face charges over the deaths of the two women.
