Investigators are trying to work out how three children and two adults died in a horror car crash which left “complete carnage” on a suburban street.
People living close to where a stolen Renault Clio hit a tree on Stonegate Road, in the Meanwood area of Leeds, on Saturday night, described a terrible scene of bodies laid in the road and a vehicle reduced to a crumpled mess of metal barely recognisable as a car.
A vigil was held opposite the tree late on Sunday night for the five people who died – named locally as brothers Ellis and Elliott Thornton, aged 12 and 15; Darnell Harte, 15, Anthoney Armour, 28, and Robbie Meerun, 24.
Police said two of the deceased were pronounced dead at the scene and three died a short time later at hospital.
One man who lives close to the crash site said: “It was unbelievable.
“You couldn’t even recognise it as a car. It was just a crumpled mess.”
His wife said: “There were bodies laid about, it was awful. It was as bad as that.”
She added: “We were just sat here and we just heard an almighty crash. We sat here and thought ‘what the heck was that?’.”
(PA Graphics)
The woman, who did not want to be identified, said it was not possible to tell whether the dead and injured had been in the car or walking along the street at the time.
Another woman said her husband ran up the road and could not believe what little was left of the car.
She said: “It was just a lump of metal that was not recognisable as a car.”
All those who died were male, said officers, who confirmed two more 15-year-olds were arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remain in custody. One of these youths is understood to have been taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
A woman, thought to be the mother of one of the victims, looks at floral tributes close to the scene of a car crash in Stonegate Road (Peter Byrne/PA)
On Sunday, floral tributes to those who died began to accumulate opposite the tree.
One tribute pinned to the flowers read: “Darnell (gone too soon). It just doesn’t make sense. Hope now you’re at some peace. Will remember you for your cheekiness.”
One of the mothers of the deceased visited the scene of the crash on Sunday afternoon, clearly distressed and did not talk to waiting media.
A police spokesman said officers were confronted by a scene of “complete carnage” when they arrived at the crash site.
He said that just one vehicle had been involved but it was not yet clear whether the five victims and two suspects had all been in the car.
“Whether they were all in the car or whether some of (the victims) were pedestrians, we can’t say at this point in time,” he added.
Detective Chief Inspector Jim Griffiths, who is leading the investigation, said: “This is clearly a tragic incident in which five young people have lost their lives. We are currently investigating the exact circumstances of what happened.”