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A man has died after the car he was driving crashed into a tree following a police attempt to stop the vehicle.

The white Audi crashed on Hempstead Road in Watford at about 05:00 BST on Tuesday.

The driver died at the scene and two passengers were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The Audi had been driven off when an unmarked police car attempted to stop it, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The police watchdog is "exclusively" dealing with the investigation into the crash, Hertfordshire Police confirmed.

'Tragic event'

In a statement, the IOPC said: "It is understood at this time, prior to the collision an unmarked police car attempted to stop an Audi before it drove off.

"Within a few minutes, police found the vehicle nearby having collided into a tree at the Watford Town Hall roundabout."

Formal identification of the man who died is yet to take place and efforts are being made to inform the man's next of kin, the IOPC added.

Sarah Green, from the IOPC, said: "This is a tragic event and our sympathies are with the family and friends of the person who has died, those who were injured, and all those affected by this incident.

"Hertfordshire Police made a mandatory referral to us following the incident and we declared an independent investigation."

Investigators from the IOPC have visited the scene and have begun gathering evidence including relevant CCTV footage, she added.