The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a teenager whose body was taken from a Co Offaly river on Monday.
17-year-old Quey Laurence was reported missing from his home in Portarlington, Co Laois on Sunday afternoon.
His body was discovered in the River Brosna by the Garda Water Unit the following day.
It is understood Mr Laurence and two other men were in a vehicle which was spotted near Bord na Móna land near Kilcormac, Co Offaly on Saturday night.
Later that night gardaí came across the vehicle at another Bord na Móna site near Ferbane in Co Offaly and gave chase when it sped from the area.
A GSOC spokesman said the garda car was in pursuit of the vehicle which Mr Laurence was in prior to it crashing.
The garda car lost sight of the car for a time before it was discovered a short time later in a field.
"Gardaí conducted a search of the fields and didn't locate the three guys," the GSOC spokesman said.
It is believed the three men made their way through fields and attempted to swim across the River Brosna.
On Sunday two men were seen by locals asking for the use of a mobile phone at shops in Ferbane.
It is understood they used a passerby's phone and were collected from the area.
A search operation was launched when Mr Laurence was reported missing on Sunday and his body was discovered the following day.
A GSOC spokesman confirmed that the case had been referred to them under Section 102 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.
