Two killed in police crash named

Three people died and a fourth is critically ill

Two people who died when their car crashed during a police pursuit in Greater Manchester have been named.

Christopher Morrison, 23, of Middleton, and Cassie Fox, 19, of Monsall, died with another man when their car struck a garden wall in Chadderton, Oldham.

An 18-year-old woman survived the crash in the early hours of Sunday and is critically ill in hospital.

The matter has been referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Greater Manchester Police's Chief Constable Peter Fahy said it was thought that the two female passengers had been offered a lift from the town centre.

The officer had to make a split-second decision Ch Con Peter Fahy

He said: "It would appear that first there were two men in the car and then they offered a lift to the two girls from Oldham town centre and there has been this tragic consequence."

Shortly before the crash, a police patrol car had tried to stop the Vauxhall Vectra in Oldham town centre, but the driver drove off and the pursuit began.

The vehicle reached speeds of up to 80mph before it struck the corner of the front garden wall of an end-of-terrace house and hit two other properties and a parked car.

It span around and flipped upside-down before it stopped.

Mr Fahy defended the actions of the Greater Manchester Police officer involved and said officers were "almost damned if they do in these circumstances and damned if they hadn't".

'Failed to stop'

He said: "The officer had to make a split-second decision.

"He has followed the vehicle because it's failed to stop, it reached speeds of up to 80mph but the collision itself can't be seen on the tape because at that point the police car was so far behind.

"So it's an absolutely tragic incident and it shows that when vehicles are asked to stop by police, it's very important that drivers comply with the instructions given."

Mr Fahy said the crash had been filmed from inside the patrol car and a "detailed examination" of the footage would be undertaken.

In the last six years, 27 people have died in accidents involving Greater Manchester Police vehicles - a statistic second only to London's Metropolitan Police.

Mr Fahy admitted it was "clearly not a good record to have".

"Police officers in Greater Manchester do a very difficult job.," he said.

"What strikes me about a place like Greater Manchester, which is very built-up with congestion, difficult roads, conditions with a number of junctions, things like that, it's a particularly difficult area in which to drive and that causes additional risks for our officers and the public."