Three teenagers have died after their Audi A3 entered the River Wear in Sunderland, with a 17-year-old boy arrested in connection with the incident.
Northumbria Police received reports that a black Audi A3 had come off the road at Panns Bank near Wearmouth Bridge and gone into the river at around 1.30pm on Tuesday. Four people were in the car at the time.
Following a search, the bodies of two teenage boys and a teenage girl were recovered from the water on Tuesday evening. The 17-year-old survivor managed to reach safety and was taken to hospital with non-serious injuries before his arrest.
Police Response
Chief Supt Scott Cowie, area commander for Sunderland, said: “This is a truly tragic incident where three young people have lost their lives. Our thoughts are with their families, friends and all those impacted by what has happened. We will continue to support them in any way that we can and ask that their privacy is respected at this time. I want to thank all of our partners who supported the multi-agency search efforts.”
Members of the public have been asked not to speculate about the incident. Rescue teams composed of police, ambulance, the RNLI, the Coastguard and the fire and rescue service were involved in a multi-hour search of the river.
Emergency Services Involved
The Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) dispatched two fire engines and a fire boat to assist with the rescue operation. The North East Ambulance service dispatched three emergency ambulances, a full hazardous area response team and an air ambulance.
The next of kin of the three teenagers who died have been informed and are being supported by officers.
Wider Context
Last week, police chiefs warned that more than 23,000 people have been killed or seriously injured involving a driver aged 17 to 24 in the past five years. Analysis of figures from the Department of Transport between 2021 and 2025 show that the accidents included 7,500 crashes where the driver was in that age bracket, 4,000 who were passengers being driven by a young driver, and 11,600 other road users including pedestrians and people in other cars. Around a fifth of all road accidents that end with death or serious injury involve young drivers, defined as those aged 17 to 24.
Northumbria Police have asked that anyone with information about the incident, particularly CCTV or dashcam footage, get in contact via social media, or using the live chat and report forms on the force website.
