The driver of a car being chased by police died after a crash with two other cars in south London on Friday night.
Six people who were in the two other vehicles were injured, one seriously, in the incident in Wickham Road, Croydon, close to the junction with Shirley Road, shortly before 21:00 BST, the Met Police said.
The 63-year-old man who died was suspected of using cloned number plates on his car.
His two passengers, both men aged 61, were arrested on suspicion of being carried in a stolen vehicle. One was also arrested for possession of class A drugs. Both remain in custody, police added.
The incident began at 20:28 BST on Friday when police officers on patrol “began to follow a vehicle that was suspected to be displaying cloned number plates”, the force said in a statement.
At 20:38 BST officers tried to stop the vehicle near South Norwood High Street, but it failed to stop and the police gave chase.
Six minutes later, the car crashed into two cars in Wickham Road, Croydon close to the junction with Shirley Road, police added.
A man was given CPR by officers, but he died at the scene. His next of kin has been informed.
London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade treated multiple people for injuries and took six people to hospital. One had a potentially life-threatening injury.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards was immediately informed and a referral made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which is a required step whenever vehicles are involved in a collision involving death or serious injury following a police pursuit.
“The IOPC will now carry out an independent investigation.”
