New CCTV footage has emerged showing a police van appearing to follow two boys on an electric bike shortly before a fatal Ely crash. According to the timestamp on the video, the van was following the bike at 6.02pm in Stanway Road, within a minute of the crash which claimed the lives of Harvey Evans, 15, and Kyrees Sullivan, 16, on Monday, May 22.
It comes after another CCTV video emerged on Tuesday, also showing a police van following an electric bike. That video is now part of the South Wales Police investigation.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Bacon gave the following timeline for the events in Ely which sparked a riot on Monday:
- 17:59.40: CCTV shows the bike travelling towards the police vehicle in Frank Road. The bike then turns around.
- 18:00.52: The bike is followed by the police vehicle. Blue lights or sirens were not in use.
- 18:01.18: Police vehicle is at New Ely Church roundabout and travels through Archer Road, Stanway Road and Howell Road.
- 18:02.31: Police vehicle turns onto Grand Avenue.
- 18:02.17 - 18:02.41: Approximate time of the collision in Snowden Road. At the time of the collision, the police van is in Grand Avenue, half a mile away from Snowden Road.
- 18:06.59: The police vehicle is on Cowbridge Road West when it receives information about a road traffic collision, illuminates blue lights and makes its way to the collision scene.
Read more: First pictures released of 'best friends' killed in Cardiff crash as families pay tribute
But the new CCTV footage at the top of this page appears to show the police vehicle following the bike at 6.02pm in Stanway Road (the time stamp on the video is mistakenly displaying one hour early as it was not adjusted for daylight savings time). During the press conference, a BBC reporter suggested to DCC Bacon that the footage appeared to contradict the police timeline by showing a chase was ongoing just before the collision. He added that the only reason the police vehicle did not continue after this point was due to bollards at the end of the road.
DCC Bacon said she had given the timeline to the best of her knowledge and there was a lot of CCTV footage to be viewed. She said the force had been transparent, adding: "There was no police vehicle in Snowden Road at the time of the collision and we believe there were no other vehicles involved in the incident."
The original CCTV (see below) which appeared to show a police van following two people on a bike in Frank Road was time stamped at 5.59pm, and another video appearing to show a chase was time-stamped to 5.56pm. South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael had said officers were not chasing the two teenagers when they were killed in the bike crash.
At the press conference Ms Bacon said the force's van was on Grand Avenue at the time of the crash, which happened about half a mile away in Snowden Road. Police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has confirmed it is now investigating the circumstances.
The families of the two teenagers who died have released tributes saying the pair were best friends. Harvey's mum said "he lived life to the full, he had a big heart and deep down he truly cared", while Kyrees's family described him as "a loving, caring handsome young man".
Harvey's family said: "Our hearts are truly broken by the sudden death of Harvey, our much-loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, friend, and boyfriend. He lived life to the full, he had a big heart and deep down he truly cared. He was a best friend to Kyrees, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family also.
“We ask for peace within the community and request that people leave the investigation to the police so we can get the answers we so desperately need to lay Harvey to rest. As Harvey’s mum I want to remember our son as the fun and loving son that he was and not as the media are portraying him now”.
The tribute from Kyrees's family stated: "Kyrees was a loving, caring handsome young man, a loving son to Belinda and Craig, little brother to Aleah and Jordan and a special uncle KyKy to Myra. He was loved so much by his grandparents and aunties and uncles and his many cousins.
“Him and Harvey along with Niall were best friends since they were young and went everywhere together, they both had so many friends and were very well liked doing many things together, having fun & laughs!! They were loved by not only their families but by their community as well. Belinda, Craig & families, would like to thank everyone for all their kind words, flowers, and messages since they lost their son.”
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