TWO men and a teenage girl have been charged after 'joyriders' being chased by police caused a multiple crash in north Belfast.
The charges come amid calls for an "urgent" review of how police pursue stolen cars in built-up areas.
A 22-year-old man has been charged with a string of crimes including aggravated vehicle taking, causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving, driving while unfit, failing to stop for police and driving without insurance.
The second man, aged 20, has been charged with crimes including aggravated vehicle taking.
Both men are to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court this morning.
An 18-year-old woman has also been charged with aggravated vehicle taking. She is to appear before the same court on August 1.
One man last night remained in a critical condition in the intensive care unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital following the crash on the Crumlin Road on Tuesday night.
It is understood he was a back seat passenger in the stolen car.
One other man who was also taken to hospital was later discharged, while a child who was also injured was also later released.
Two other men and one woman, also taken to hospital following the collision, which happened at around 7pm on Tuesday, are believed to be in a stable condition.
The Police Ombudsman yesterday confirmed it is investigating the incident as a police vehicle had been "in pursuit" of the stolen black Audi A1 car.
The car, which crashed near the Ardoyne shops, had been stolen from Thirlmere Gardens in north Belfast on Sunday morning.
The car hit a number of other vehicles before it crashed and landed on its roof. A number of properties were also damaged.
The impact of the crash resulted in debris from the Audi being thrown through the air, smashing the window of one house on the Crumlin Road.
READ MORE:
- Student tells how car 'came flying towards me' in multiple crash
- Family 'heartbroken' after man left in critical condition following stolen car crash
- Police in pursuit of stolen car which 'flew through the air' injuring a child and five adults
As a clean-up operation got underway yesterday, the gardens of some houses were still filled with debris from the crash, including broken car lights, smashed brick work and damaged railings.
Police yesterday appealed for information about the stolen black Audi A1 car, registration GD18 SJU, between the time it was stolen on Sunday at around 2.20am to the time of the collision.
A PSNI spokesman confirmed that officers had earlier attempted to stop the stolen car.
"I can confirm that following a number of reports about the black Audi being driven erratically in the north Belfast area, police patrols were alerted to search for the vehicle," he said.
"Specially trained police officers subsequently located the stolen car. The car failed to stop, made off and police initiated a pursuit. The car crashed a short time later".
A spokesman for the Police Ombudsman said: "Police notified us immediately after the crash as one of their vehicles had been in pursuit of the Audi car.
"Our investigators have been to the scene. Their focus will be to establish what happened prior to the crash, and in particular, the movements of the police vehicle".
SDLP councillor Paul McCusker last night called for an "urgent review" of police protocol regarding pursuits in built up areas.
"It is remarkable there has been no deaths," he said.
Mr McCusker said the collision had happened just three months after mother-of-two Lisa Gow (28) was killed when she was knocked down by a stolen car, which was also being pursued by police, on the Ballysillan Road in April.
Martin Nelson (39), from Ardoyne Road in north Belfast, later admitted causing Ms Gow's death by dangerous driving.
Mr McCusker said it was time to challenge police "around the regulations of when a pursuit is happening in built up residential areas".
"There has to be an urgent review," he said.
"People involved in death driving are often arrested, questioned and bailed, how we deal with this needs looked at. The PPS need to send a clear message out how they are going to deal with this. We are going to continue to see more deaths on our roads if these people are not put away for a long time."
Sinn Féin councillor Ryan Murphy said the Police Ombudsman investigation into the crash needed to be "comprehensive and thorough".
"I call on anyone with any information on this incident to bring it forward immediately to the police and the Police Ombudsman," he said.
