A449 tragedy: Boy aged just 16 quizzed over death of man
A boy aged 16 has been questioned on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving today after a man was killed and a baby seriously injured in a horror crash.
The red Peugeot 206 overturned on the A449 Stourbridge Road, Penn. Horrified passers-by rushed to try and help on Sunday at 6.32pm with one attempting CPR on the man while another picked up the crying baby from a grass verge.
Two air ambulances landed in the road, near Miller & Carter, but nothing could be done to save the man – named by a family member as shop worker Iana Dumitru. The baby was taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital by land ambulance.
Today, Staffordshire police revealed the age of the suspect, and also that the baby's mother, aged 23, was among the injured. Also in the car was a 49-year-old woman. All of the injured were taken to hospital.
The car was travelling towards the Wombourne island at Wodehouse Lane.
The victim, said to be aged 51, was not the baby’s father. Staffordshire Police said today that the teenage suspect had been released under investigation.
The force said: "A detailed investigation into the circumstances of the collision is now underway and specialist officers are supporting family members at this time.
"We are keen to hear from any witnesses who may have seen the collision or have any footage of the vehicle travelling prior to the collision. Please call us on 101 quoting incident number 682 of 27 August."
A resident from Lloyd Drive, who did not wish to be named, said: “Some people saw it go up in the air and flip. It appeared to hit the barrier. The baby landed on the grass verge. Someone ran over and picked it up because it was crying. Someone was attempting CPR on him.”
A family member, who did not want to be named, said the victim had moved to Wolverhampton from Romania a year ago. He said: “It was my mother’s boyfriend. She was in the car with him. She is out of hospital now but is in shock like the rest of us.”
A Staffordshire Police Spokesman said: “
Pensioner Frederick Dudley was knocked down and killed there in November last year. Coroner Margaret Jones ordered the speed to be reduced on the 60mph stretch at Mr Dudley’s inquest.
