A 17-year-old boy escaped from an Audi A3 as it plunged into the River Wear in Sunderland, but three of his teenage friends tragically drowned after the vehicle smashed through a metal barrier.
The crash happened shortly after 1.30pm on Tuesday, triggering a major emergency response involving police, firefighters, paramedics, the RNLI and coastguard teams. The surviving teenager was taken to hospital before being released and taken into police custody on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Investigators are still working to establish who was behind the wheel when the car entered the water.
Witness describes terrifying moments before the crash
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A teenage girl who witnessed the incident has described the moment the Audi crashed through the barrier near Wearmouth Bridge, leaving those nearby scrambling to help.
She told The Sun that the car had initially driven into a car park and stopped in a bay close to the barriers. Nothing about its driving appeared unusual at that point.
According to the witness, the driver and a passenger then stepped out and briefly spoke before getting back into the vehicle. She believed they might have switched seats, although she stressed that she could not be certain.
Moments later, the car suddenly shot forward and smashed through the barrier.
“It was as if the driver had tried to reverse and put the car in first gear by accident,” she said, suggesting the crash might have been accidental.
She recalled hearing the impact before the scraping sound of the car’s underside against the river wall as it plunged into the water.
Teen survivor shouted for help
The witness said she immediately called 999. By the time she made the call, the 17-year-old had managed to escape from the submerged vehicle.
He briefly went underwater, apparently searching for the car, before resurfacing. He then swam around to the other side of the vehicle and began shouting for help.
The teenager eventually reached a ladder and climbed out of the river.
An onlooker grabbed a life ring and ran towards the water, apparently hoping to help anyone else who might emerge. However, no one else resurfaced.
The witness described being overwhelmed by the incident as she tried to relay everything she had seen to police.
Emergency crews arrived quickly, with firefighters and ambulance teams joining the rescue effort. The surviving teenager was eventually seen on the concrete beside the river.
The witness also pushed back against speculation circulating on social media that the teenagers had been performing driving stunts before the crash.
“People on social media have been saying they were doing donuts but they weren’t,” she said.
Although circular skid marks were visible in the car park, there was no suggestion that the Audi had been driven inappropriately before the incident.
Three Sunderland College students confirmed dead
The three teenagers who drowned were all students at Sunderland College’s Bede Campus.
Their deaths have left the college community and the wider city mourning the loss of three young lives.
In a statement, a college spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened to hear three students from our Bede Campus tragically lost their lives yesterday afternoon.”
The spokesperson described the deaths as a heartbreaking loss and extended condolences to the victims’ families, friends and loved ones.
The college also paid tribute to the emergency services and others who responded to the crash, adding that support was available for students and staff affected by the tragedy.
It asked the public and media to respect the privacy of the families as they grieve.
Major rescue operation launched
Emergency services were dispatched at around 1.30pm on Tuesday after the Audi entered the River Wear.
Police officers, firefighters, paramedics and the RNLI’s inshore lifeboat attended the scene. A coastguard helicopter and an air ambulance were also deployed as rescue teams searched the water.
The bodies of the three teenagers who could not escape the vehicle were subsequently recovered from the river.
A crane was brought in to assist with recovering the Audi from the water.
Chief Superintendent Scott Cowie of Northumbria Police acknowledged the devastating impact of the incident, saying three people had lost their lives.
He added that the force’s thoughts were with the victims’ families, friends and everyone affected by what had happened.
Police continue investigating who was driving
The 17-year-old who survived the crash was taken to hospital for treatment. He was later released and placed in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Police have not yet established who was driving when the Audi entered the River Wear.
The witness’s account of the apparent exchange between the driver and passenger shortly before the collision may form part of the wider investigation, but her suggestion that they switched seats remains unconfirmed.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash as the families of the three teenagers face the devastating loss of their loved ones.