Three children killed in stolen car crash in Leeds named
Police say they were confronted by a scene of "complete carnage" after a Renault Clio crashed into a tree in Leeds.
Monday 27 November 2017 11:15, UK
Two brothers and a boy, 15, who were among five people killed when a stolen car crashed into a tree in Leeds have been named.
The family of Ellis and Elliott Thornton, aged 12 and 15, have confirmed they were killed in the crash in the Meanwood area of the city shortly before 10pm on Saturday.
The pair's sister Ebony paid tribute on Facebook, saying she was "full of pain" and "lost for words", adding: "I will never ever forget you ever, I love you so much."
Police described being confronted by a scene of "complete carnage" when they reached the location of the collision involving a Renault Clio.
Darnell Harte, who is thought to be 15, a 24-year-old man and a 28-year-old man also died in the tragedy on Stonegate Road.
Two 15-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remain in custody.
Sky's Sally Lockwood said some of Ellis and Elliott's visibly shocked friends visited the scene on Sunday.
She added that one resident said there was "simply nothing left" of the car following the crash.
A police spokesman said that while only one vehicle had been involved, it was not yet clear whether the victims and 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 said.
"We've got the road closed, an investigation in place and we're trying to find out what has occurred."
The families of those who died have been informed, the force said.
Stonegate Road is closed while the major collision enquiry team investigates the cause of the crash.
The car has been removed from the scene and a large scar can be seen on the tree, which is around 150m behind a police cordon.
People living in the streets around the scene of the collision said they heard a loud bang followed by sirens.
Detective Chief Inspector Jim Griffiths 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.
"I would like to take this opportunity to ask anyone who saw what happened or has information about it to call us on 101 quoting log 1859 of Saturday 26 November."