This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/sep/03/manchester-city-car-crash-victims

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Manchester City footballer car crash: victims named Manchester City footballer car crash: victims named
(about 1 hour later)
Two people killed in a car crash involving a Manchester City footballer were a brother and sister, police have said. A brother and sister killed in a car crash involving a Manchester City footballer that left her teenage sons orphaned have been named by police.
Driver Kulwant Singh, 32, was killed with his sister, front-seat passenger Ravel-Kaur Singh, 37, when their red Nissan Micra collided with a silver Mercedes understood to have been driven by Courtney Meppen-Walter. Driver Kulwant Singh, 32, of Salford, and his sister Ravel-Kaur Singh, 37, of Cheetham Hill, who was a front seat passenger, died in the collision between a silver Mercedes and their red Nissan Micra on Bury New Road on Saturday night.
Ms Singh's two sons, who were back-seat passengers in the Micra, were injured in the crash. The 17-year-old suffered a serious head injury and remains in a critical condition while the 16-year-old has a head injury that is not believed to be life-threatening. The Mercedes was driven by Courtney Meppen-Walter, 18, who plays for Manchester City and has played for England's under-17s team. He was arrested by Greater Manchester police, along with another teenage driver – James Conroy, 19, who was driving a grey VW Golf – and both men remain in police custody on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Meppen-Walter, 18, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after the crash at around 10.15pm on Saturday on Bury New Road in Manchester. A second man, aged 19, who was driving a grey Volkswagen Golf, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Ravel-Kaur Singh's two teenage sons were seriously injured in the collision, at 10.15pm on Saturday, and have been orphaned as their father died some years ago, according to relatives. The family were returning home from a festival at the nearby Gurdwara Sri Guru HarKrishan Sahib Ji temple in Manchester when the collision happened.
Both men remain in custody for questioning, a spokesman for Greater Manchester police said on Monday. Kulwant Singh's wife and two young children were at the temple when the accident happened and he planned to return and take them home after giving his sister and nephews a lift. The impact of the collision at the junction of Bury New Road and Sherborne Street propelled the Micra 50 yards down the road.
Mr Singh was from Salford and his sister from Cheetham Hill, Manchester. Greater Manchester Police said Ms Singh's sons were in the rear seats of the Nissan Micra. Her 16-year-old son has a head injury that is not thought to be life-threatening. Her 17-year-old son has a serious head injury and is in a critical condition in Hope Hospital, Salford.
A spokeswoman for Manchester City Football Club said: "It is a devastating tragedy for this family and also for the Greater Manchester community at large. Manchester City Football Club offers its heartfelt condolences to the family and all affected by the events of yesterday evening. Superintendent Neil Bhole, of Greater Manchester police, said: "Firstly, I want to extend my sympathies to the family and friends of those who have sadly died. This is an absolute tragedy and our thoughts are with them as they try and come to terms with what happened." He said specially trained family liaison officers were with the family. "Because we have made arrests, I do not want to be drawn on what has caused this collision and I would ask for people's understanding that we cannot talk about speculation or rumour. I do, however, want to reassure people that we have launched a thorough investigation that will establish all the facts."
"The situation is subject to an extensive investigation by Greater Manchester police and therefore we are unable to make specific comment on the incident itself at this time." He said he wanted to hear from any witnesses who saw the collision, or who specifically saw a silver Mercedes and a grey VW Golf being driven on Trinity Way or Great Ducie Street before the collision to come forward.
Sources said Meppen-Walter, who was born in Bury, Greater Manchester, was driving a "low-powered" Mercedes at the time of the collision. Meppen-Walter joined Manchester City in 2010 and has yet to play for the Premier League champions. The youth team player has been a regular in the England under-17 side.
The youth team defender joined City in July 2010, according to the club's website, and has been a regular in the England under-17 side. Sources said he was driving a "low-powered" Mercedes at the time of the collision. It is understood that he earns less than £1,000 a week.
Police are appealing to anyone who witnessed the crash to call the serious collision unit on 0161 856 4742. A spokeswoman for Manchester City FC said on Sunday: "It is a devastating tragedy for this family and also for the Greater Manchester community at large. Manchester City Football Club offers its heartfelt condolences to the family and all affected by the events of yesterday evening. The situation is subject to an extensive investigation by Greater Manchester police and therefore we are unable to make specific comment on the incident itself at this time."
Police are appealing for witnesses to contact the Greater Manchester police serious collision unit on 0161 856 4742. One line of inquiry is that the footballer and his friend may have been racing each other shortly before the collision.
Balinder Singh, 19, a relative of the family, told the Manchester Evening News: "Kulwant's wife has been left with a one-year-old son and a three-year-old girl. He was a loving father – he would help anyone. Ravel's husband passed away a long time ago, so the children have lost their father and their mother now."
He said everyone at the temple is supporting the family.