Coroner’s Report Reveals Head Injuries in Electric Bike Crash Tragedy
A coroner has been informed that two boys who tragically lost their lives in an electric bike crash, which subsequently led to a riot, suffered head injuries. The incident occurred on Snowden Road in Ely, Cardiff, shortly after 18:00 BST on 22 May, where Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and his friend Harvey Evans, 15, were found by a member of the public, as revealed during the Pontypridd Coroners Court hearing.
According to the inquest into their deaths, the boys were riding an electric bike on the road before both being discovered by a member of the public after coming off the bike. Post mortem examinations indicated that Kyrees’ provisional cause of death was “blunt injury to the head,” while Harvey died as a result of “blunt injury to the head and trunk.” The coroner deemed the deaths as “violent or unnatural” and determined that an inquest was necessary, but proceedings were adjourned to await the completion of an ongoing police investigation.
Following the incident, a riot ensued, with cars being set on fire and police officers being attacked. Nine individuals were subsequently arrested for their alleged involvement in the riot.
One of the boys’ aunts, Hayley Murphy, placed blame on the police for the crash, asserting that “they were two children who were chased to their death by South Wales Police.” The police acknowledged that officers had been following the boys prior to the crash but maintained that only the bike was involved in the fatal incident. CCTV footage captured moments before the crash showed a police van trailing behind the boys at a distance, although the police stated that their nearest vehicle was half a mile away when the bike crashed.
In remembrance of the two boys, around 800 individuals from the Ely community, including family and friends, attended a vigil and balloon release last Friday. Reflecting on the loss, Harvey’s aunt, Ms. Murphy, expressed disbelief, saying, “It still doesn’t seem real that we’re here for Harvey and Kyrees.” She also revealed that the electric bike was an early 16th birthday gift.
Dawn Rees, Harvey’s grandmother, described Harvey and Kyrees as inseparable and stated, “[Kyrees] was lovely. If I needed milk, he went to the shop for me, always asking if I needed anything. A lovely boy.”