Cannock Road crash survivor still critical in hospital as investigation continues
A man is continuing to fight for his life more than a week after a crash which left two people dead.
Alfie Peakman remains in a critical condition in hospital following the crash which happened on the outskirts of Wolverhampton just before 4am on Sunday, August 1.
The 22-year-old was the only survivor when the convertible Audi he was in crashed into a telegraph pole and a tree on Cannock Road in Westcroft, near Essington.
Will Craddock and Kaya Morrison-Taylor, both aged 22 and from Walsall, died at the scene.
The car the men were in had been chased by police before the crash happened, following an attack outside Fever nightclub in Cannock which left a man seriously injured. Staffordshire Police this week urged anyone with information over the attack to come forward and said witnesses had seen two men running away.
Due to the involvement of Staffordshire Police officers pursuing the Audi, the investigation into the crash is being carried out by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
A spokesman for the IOPC said on Monday that the investigation remained in its early stages.
"After we were notified by Staffordshire Police, we sent investigators to the scene and police post incident procedure to begin gathering information," the spokesman said.
"We declared an independent investigation later in the morning.
"Our investigation is still at an early stage and so far we have gathered initial accounts from the officers involved. We have also started to review police body-worn video footage."
Meanwhile dozens of tributes have been left at the crash scene in memory of Mr Craddock and Mr Morrison-Taylor, who had recently become a father.
Flowers, balloons, cards, candles and t-shirts were left at the side of Cannock Road where the owner of the garden that the car ended up in had put up a sign dedicated to the crash victims.
Thousands of pounds has also been raised towards the funerals of both men, with £1,800 raised for Mr Craddock and £1,465 for Mr Morrison-Taylor.
IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell added: "Our thoughts are with the men’s family and friends, and all those affected by this tragic incident.
"We have contacted both families of the men who died to explain our role and how our inquiries will progress."
“There is a mandatory requirement for forces to refer to us incidents like this which result in death or serious injury and our investigation will thoroughly examine the circumstances of the police involvement and whether appropriate policies and procedures were followed."
