Teen in River Wear crash most likely drowned, Sunderland inquest hears

A provisional post-mortem has concluded that a 17-year-old who died when a car went into the River Wear most likely drowned, an inquest opening has heard. Jackson Duke, 17, was one of three teenagers killed when a black Audi A3 entered the water at Panns Bank in Sunderland shortly before 13:30 BST on 29 September.

Sunderland's senior coroner, David Place, opened the inquest into Jackson's death during a seven-minute hearing at City Hall. He told the court it was a tragic time for the whole city and offered his condolences to Jackson's parents, who attended. The provisional cause of death, based on an examination carried out on 1 October, was recorded as consistent with drowning, he said.

Coroner's officer Vicky Ross told the hearing that Northumbria Police were called to reports of a vehicle entering the river that afternoon. Four people were in the car; one managed to free themselves from the wreckage, but the other three could not, she said. Divers later recovered the bodies from the vehicle, and an investigation into the circumstances remains ongoing.

A 17-year-old boy who reached safety was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has since been released on bail while inquiries continue. Inquests for the other two victims, 16-year-olds Luke Etheridge and Zara Shaw, were due to open later on Monday.

Jackson and Luke lived in Sunderland, while Zara was from Houghton-le-Spring. All three were students at Sunderland College. A review hearing for Jackson's inquest has been listed for 21 January 2027.