Bristol river crash: man dies after car goes into the River Avon

A man in his 20s has died after a car went into a river in Bristol.

Avon and Somerset Police were called to York Road in the Bedminster area of the city at about 1.30am on Saturday. The force said a vehicle, with three people inside, had gone through railings and into the River Avon.

A spokeswoman said one man died while the two other people were treated for minor injuries. The incident has been referred to the police watchdog because a police vehicle was in the vicinity at the time but, the spokeswoman said, there was no chase.

“We responded to an incident in the early hours of this morning, Saturday February 25, after a car went through railings alongside the river at York Road, Bedminster, and entered the water,” she said. “There were three occupants in the car. One of them, a man in his 20s, sadly died. The next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.

“The family will be offered support by a specially trained liaison officer. The two other occupants have received medical attention.”

Roads in the surrounding area were closed while emergency services attended the incident. The spokeswoman continued: “An investigation is ongoing to ascertain how the vehicle came to be in the water.

“We are making a mandatory referral about this incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). We can confirm that the mandatory IOPC referral is a result of police being in the proximity at the time of the incident. There was no police pursuit.”

Police forces must refer certain incidents to the watchdog, for example where there has been a death or a serious injury following police contact.

In 2018, a man and a woman were rescued after the car they were travelling in crashed through railings on York Road. And in 2019, a van driver and passenger managed to escape after their vehicle went through the railings.