BBC
A boy who died after being followed by police on his e-bike and then colliding with an ambulance has been named locally as 15-year-old Saul Cookson.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said traffic officers followed the teenager in Salford on Thursday afternoon until bollards blocked their vehicle’s path.
The boy rode on before his e-bike was in collision with the ambulance, said North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating.
The boy was followed by officers along Fitzwarren Street and on to Lower Seedley Road at about 14:00 BST before the crash on Langworthy Road.
NWAS said that while its vehicle was not on an active call at the time of the crash it was being driven back to a nearby ambulance station.
The crew inside was immediately able to treat the boy before taking him to hospital where he later died.
An ambulance could be seen with a shattered windscreen after the collision and a bike lay on the ground nearby.
While many of the people who came to the crash scene on Friday to leave flowers and cards did not want to be interviewed, the impact on the local community was clear.
One said that if they tried to speak they would break down.
Two sapphire blue, heart-shaped balloons have been tied at the foot of a lamppost, along with flowers, candles, cards and a large white banner full of handwritten messages.
Notes include “RIP brother” and “Forever remembered rest easy”.
Another, circled with red hearts, simply reads “Gone but not forgotten”.
Alongside the pain though, some concern was expressed by local people about the availability and use of high powered e-bikes.
‘Tragedy’
In a statement, GMP said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the boy who tragically died.”
The IOPC, which oversees police conduct, said it was “independently investigating the circumstances of a serious collision involving an e-bike and an ambulance in Salford”.
“Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones, as well as all those affected by this tragedy,” its spokesman said.
“We were notified by Greater Manchester Police due to the fact a police vehicle had been following the e-bike shortly before the collision.
“We have sent investigators to the scene of the collision, at the junction of Langworthy Road and Lower Seedley…
