Janine GriffithsPolice are urging residents to come forward with information following the death of a 36-year-old woman who was struck by a car during a police pursuit in Harehills, Leeds.
A 19-year-old man has now been charged in connection with the fatal collision, but detectives are continuing to appeal for witnesses, dashcam footage and information about others believed to have been travelling in the vehicle.
Officers are particularly keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident on Beckett Street on Thursday, 29 October, or saw a black Vauxhall Corsa in the surrounding area shortly before or after the collision.
Anyone who may be able to help is urged to contact West Yorkshire Police on 101 or through its online Live Chat service, quoting crime reference 13260615046.
The appeal comes as Harry Gyamsie-Perah, 19, of Coldcotes Garth, Leeds, appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 31 October, charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
He also faces three further motoring charges: driving without third-party insurance, failing to stop after a road accident and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
He was remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance at Leeds Crown Court on 27 November.
The incident unfolded shortly before 10am on Thursday when a black Vauxhall Corsa failed to stop for officers on Harehills Road at approximately 9.50am.
Police were authorised to pursue the vehicle, but just two minutes later, at 9.52am, the Corsa struck a woman walking along Beckett Street.
Officers provided emergency medical assistance at the scene before the woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Despite efforts to save her life, she later died.
The Corsa was subsequently found abandoned on nearby Nippet Lane, with its occupants having fled the scene. Police seized the vehicle for forensic examination.
Detectives from West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is also conducting a separate investigation into the circumstances of the police pursuit.
The investigation follows a mandatory referral made because officers had been involved in pursuing the vehicle shortly before the fatal collision.
While criminal proceedings are now underway, detectives are continuing to establish the full circumstances of the incident and identify everyone who was travelling in the Corsa.
Police are urging anyone who has not yet spoken to officers and may have information, however small, to come forward.
Anyone with information can contact West Yorkshire Police by calling 101 or using its online Live Chat service, quoting 13260615046.
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