An 18-year-old man has died and a 16-year-old boy is in a critical condition after a moped crash in Sheerness, Kent, shortly after the pair were approached by patrolling police officers. The incident happened at around 7.50pm on Saturday 31 October, near the junction of Beach Street and Royal Road, close to Sheppey Leisure Centre.

Kent Police said officers on foot patrol were approaching the moped rider when the vehicle left the location via an alleyway beside the leisure centre and was subsequently involved in a collision. Officers gave first aid at the scene, but the rider, an 18-year-old man from Sheppey, was pronounced dead. The passenger, a 16-year-old boy also from Sheppey, was taken to a London hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.

Watchdog referral and police appeal

A mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and an investigation is under way. The force has not named either teenager, and the circumstances of the collision itself have not yet been set out beyond the police account of the approach and the crash that followed.

Kent Police is appealing for witnesses and information. Anyone who can help is asked to contact the force quoting reference RY/JM/088/26. The appeal asks for dashcam, CCTV or mobile phone footage from the area around Beach Street and Royal Road on Saturday evening.

Sources: Kent Police statement via Sky News; Hits Radio Kent, 1 November 2026.