Officers tell inquest they gave up chase moments before fatal crash that killed two Walsall men
The inquest into a crash where two men died has heard that pursuing Staffordshire Police officers lost sight of the high-performance car before it left a road, struck a telegraph pole and a tree.
William Craddock and Kaya Morrison-Taylor, both aged 22, and from Walsall, were pronounced dead at the scene after the Audi S3 left the A460 Cannock Road, in Westcroft near Essington in the early hours of August 1, 2021. The grey-coloured convertible came to rest in a garden two-feet below the carriageway.
The hearing at County Buildings, in Stafford, on Wednesday heard that Mr Morrison-Taylor, of Westbrook Avenue, Aldridge, was at the wheel of the Audi with Mr Craddock, known as Will, of Newhome Way, Harden, was in the rear - while friend Alfie Peakman was the front seat passenger.
Giving evidence, Sergeant Matthew Walker told the jury after reports that the men had got into an Audi in Backcrofts car park in Cannock following an assault near Fever nightclub he pulled up behind in an unmarked Peugeot with blue lights activated, but the car was driven away.
Sgt Walker said he followed it along nearby roads and that an unmarked police Audi 6 got in between picking up the pursuit. He said the Peugeot was unable to keep up with them, but he guessed that they had taken the A460 towards Wolverhampton.
