Woman in her 20s dies in crash on A19
North NewsA woman has died and a man has been arrested after a crash on the A19 near Sunderland.
The woman, who was a passenger in a BMW, died at the scene and a male passenger in his twenties remains in hospital in a life-threatening condition.
Police confirmed at about 02:55 GMT, officers pursued a white BMW, which had failed to stop.
The force has referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has confirmed it will be conducting an independent investigation.
A male driver from the Volkswagen was taken to hospital for injuries not thought to be serious.
A 24-year-old man, believed to be the driver of the BMW, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remained in police custody, police confirmed.
Sgt Greg Huntley, of Northumbria Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Our thoughts go out to the woman's loved ones as they process this tragic news, and also to the families of those injured."
He thanked the public for their patience while officers carried out their inquiries along a section of the A19, which was closed but has since reopened.