Two men charged after elderly women die following care home car crash
Highcliffe Care Home in Witherwack, Sunderland, had to be evacuated following the serious collision, which caused structural damage to the building at around 9.40pm on Wednesday.
Northumbria Police said two residents of the care home, a woman in her 90s and a woman in her 80s, died on Thursday, after the crash.
On Friday evening, the force said two men, both aged 21, had been charged with a number of offences in connection with the reports, as it continues to investigate the deaths.
Sam Asgari-Tabar, of Stratford Road, Sunderland, has been charged with robbery and kidnap.
He has also been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to one of the care home residents who remains in hospital.
Reece Parish, of Fordham Road, Sunderland, has been charged with robbery and kidnap.
Northumbria Police said eight other residents were taken to hospital in the aftermath with injuries not believed to be life-threatening, with one still in hospital by Friday evening.
Officers had been following a BMW that was reported stolen from an address in Fenham, Newcastle, at around 9.20pm on Wednesday.
Police were authorised to pursue the vehicle, which crashed into the care home around five minutes later.
It is alleged that a woman involved in a proposed sale was inside the vehicle when it was driven off before being forcibly removed a short time later, police said.
She was left shaken but uninjured by the incident, the force added.
Following the police pursuit, a mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, officers said.
A metal barrier has been put up outside the damaged care home, which appeared to be deserted two days after the crash, the residents having been moved to alternative accommodation.
Large cracks in the brickwork were visible around the crash site and debris had spilled out on to the garden.
The latest CQC report into the home, from 2021, said it looked after a maximum of 60 residents, including people with dementia.
In a separate matter, Parish has also been charged with violent disorder in connection with the events in Sunderland city centre on August 2 last year.
Both men are due to appear at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
A force spokesman said: 'With two men now charged, we would remind people to avoid speculation both online and in our communities as this could impact the ongoing court case.
'Our investigation into the deaths of two care home residents continues.'
On Friday, a spokeswoman for Avery Healthcare, which runs the care home, said: 'We are deeply saddened by the incident at our home in Sunderland and our thoughts are with all those affected.
'We are committed to supporting our residents, their families, and our dedicated staff during this incredibly difficult time.
'We are immensely grateful for the compassion and professionalism our teams have shown and continue to show.
'As this remains part of an active police investigation, we are unable to comment further at this stage.'
Anyone with concerns or information is asked to send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media or use live chat and report forms on the force's website.
Alternatively, they can call 101 and quote reference: NP-20250709-1225.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Android Authority
12 minutes ago
- Android Authority
Woman wins $200,000 case after her phone started a house fire while charging
TL;DR A woman has been awarded the equivalent of $200,000 after her phone caused a house fire while charging. The court ruled the LG K8 was defective and failed to meet safety expectations. Most of the payout will go to her insurer, but she also received compensation for injuries. We've heard multiple reports of the Google Pixel 6a melting down over recent months, but nothing as nightmarish as this. For one woman, her plugged-in Android phone caused a house fire, eventually leading to a six-figure payout from the manufacturer. As reported by the BBC, a judge at Edinburgh Sheriff Court has ruled that an LG K8 smartphone caused a fire while charging, awarding £150,000 ($200,000) in damages. The majority of that will go to the woman's insurer, but she was also compensated for smoke inhalation and the mental health impact. The fire began in the living room on October 31, 2018, while the LG phone was charging with the correct equipment. A second phone and a laptop were also plugged in nearby, but the judge concluded that the LG was the source. He found it failed to meet basic safety expectations and was defective. Denise Parks and her husband were asleep upstairs when the fire started. She was later treated for smoke inhalation and experienced heightened anxiety and panic attacks, leaving her unable to work for several months. The phone had been issued by her employer, and the lawsuit was filed against LG Electronics UK Ltd. While the incident happened back in 2018, the ruling and payout have only just been finalized. LG shut down its phone division in 2021. Follow
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Coroner issues warning over unregulated e-bike batteries after man's death in house fire
A coroner has warned that batteries sold on online market places for e-bike conversions pose a significant and growing risk after a man died in a fire thought to be linked to one left charging. Mohsin Janjua, 28, died after his converted e-bike caught alight while charging overnight at his Bradford home. Martin Fleming, senior coroner for West Yorkshire Western, is asking the government to reassess the law on sales of lithium-ion batteries used to convert bikes into e-bikes. Following an inquest into Mr Janjua's death, the coroner said it was "more likely than not that the fire was caused by a catastrophic failure" of the battery he had bought from a site on eBay. Mr Janjua converted his bike using an electric motor in 2022, and replaced the motor with a 52-volt battery a week before the fatal fire in December 2023. After his death, investigators made test purchases and found that the test-purchase battery and charger, thought to have emanated from China, did not conform to UK safety standards and regulations. Although the battery found after the fire showed similarities with the test purchase, the extent of its damage prevented further identification. The coroner said in a report to the government Office for Product Safety and Standards: 'At the moment it is my understanding that online market places disclaim responsibility for the safety of third-party goods, so I ask that you give consideration to the appropriateness of regulations to make online marketplaces jointly responsible for ensuring the safety and legal compliances of products sold on their sites.' It is the fifth such report on prevention of deaths surrounding lithium-ion batteries in electrically powered bikes and converted or modified devices. Luke Osborne, technical director of charity Electrical Safety First said: 'Substandard batteries sold freely via online marketplaces pose a life-threatening risk to the public. 'The fires that may result when these devices fail can be catastrophic, releasing toxic gases and reaching temperatures of over 600C.' The government is planning a consultation on online marketplaces and dangerous goods sold on them. The charity is calling for the introduction of third-party certification for e-bikes and their batteries, to reduce the risk of substandard devices being sold, and is also calling for stricter rules on conversion kits for e-bikes.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Driver disqualified after automatic speed camera caught him at 58mph on motorway
A motorist has been disqualified after they were clocked at 58mph by an automatic camera on a motorway. Kevin Yems was driving on the eastbound M4 near Earley when he was clocked at 58mph on September 2 last year. The driver was travelling between junctions 10 and 12 at the time. High Wycombe Magistrates' Court heard how there was a 50mph temporary speed restriction in place at the time. READ MORE: Actress Zoë Wanamaker banned from driving for speeding on M4 Yems, 60, of Fairlawn, Oldland Common, Gloucestershire pleaded guilty to a single count of exceeding a temporary speed restriction in contravention of a local traffic order. He was disqualified from driving for six months at a hearing on July 16. Yems was also given three points on his licence. He must pay a £153 fine, as well as £120 court costs and a £60 surcharge. The court made a collection order with the outstanding funds set to be paid at a monthly rate of £28 starting from August 13.
