Cardiff bike crash – latest: Family of teen killed reveal what started riot after ‘police chase’

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in an electric bike crash in Ely on Monday, sparking a night of riots in Cardiff

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in an electric bike crash in Ely on Monday, sparking a night of riots in Cardiff

Family members of the two boys killed in Cardiff while riding an electric bike have revealed what sparked the riot that followed the teenagers’ deaths.

Following the vigil for Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, attended by a thousand in Ely on Friday night, the younger boy’s aunt and grandmother spoke of the community’s anger at the lack of answers following the revelation of footage of “police chasing” the teenagers on Monday evening, shortly before they died.

CCTV footage of a marked South Wales Police van following the teenagers as they rode a Sur-Ron electric bike quickly spread on social media after the incident, leading to violent clashes and disorder in Ely.

Harvey’s aunt Hayley Murphy and grandmother Dawn Rees have now revealed to the BBC: “We were stood at the barrier and we were begging them, begging them, to tell us if they were alive or dead, and they wouldn’t tell us nothing – and then someone ran into the crowd and said ‘I’ve got a video of the police chasing them’, and that is what started it.

“That’s what got everyone angry, so I understand because we wasn’t getting no answers.”

Key Points

• Family of teen killed reveal what started riot
• Great uncle of teenager killed hits out at police
• Nine arrested over riots which followed fatal Cardiff crash, police say
• 'Police killed my son,' says mother of e-bike crash victim
• Police vehicle was half a mile away, says force chief
• CCTV ‘shows police van driving behind bike minutes before fatal crash’

[27 May 2023 15:38 · Tara Cobham]

Photos show hundreds of tributes left at scene of crash

Hundreds of floral tributes and messages have been left at the scene of the accident in Ely, Cardiff since Monday.

On Friday evening over 1,500 people gathered at the spot where the teenagers were killed to pay tribute to them. Many held blue balloons and wore white T-shirts adorned with pictures of Kyrees and Harvey, while others stood silently in tears. A moment of silence was held before the crowd broke out in applause.

Hundreds of floral tributes and messages have been left at the scene of the accident in Ely, Cardiff since Monday (Getty Images)

On Friday evening over 1,500 people gathered at the spot where the teenagers were killed to pay tribute to them (Getty Images)

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, were killed in a crash on Monday evening (Getty Images)

[27 May 2023 15:46 · Tara Cobham]

Check our website for updates as live coverage ends

We are ending our live coverage of the crash in Cardiff that killed the two boys and the subsequent riots, but keep checking independent.co.uk for the latest updates.