Seven killed on A66 near Middlesbrough after police abort car pursuit

Five young men and two Cleveland Police officers died when a Volkswagen Passat drove into an armed response vehicle on the A66 in Teesside. Officers had abandoned the chase roughly ten seconds before the crash.

Seven dead on A66 after aborted police chase ends in head-on collision

Police had called off a pursuit of a car suspected of using cloned number plates just seconds before it crashed into a marked police vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough, killing seven people, Google News IE — Crime (en) reports, citing the UK's police watchdog.

Five males aged between 17 and 23 died when a Volkswagen Passat, travelling on the wrong side of the dual carriageway at South Bank in Teesside, collided with an armed response vehicle in the early hours of Saturday morning. Two Cleveland Police officers in that vehicle were also killed.

The dead were named as Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, and Jacob Matusiak, 23. All five were pronounced dead at the scene. Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, died in the same collision. The two officers had been travelling in the correct direction.

IOPC opens investigation

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed on Sunday that Pc Blades and Pc Clough had not been involved in the original pursuit. They had been called to the area to help search for the Passat following intelligence linking the vehicle to "numerous incidents," the watchdog said.

An ANPR camera had detected the Passat's plates, prompting an armed response vehicle to begin a pursuit. The chase lasted just under seven minutes before the car turned onto the A66 at South Bank, driving against the flow of traffic. Officers aborted the pursuit and continued on the correct carriageway. Approximately ten seconds later, the Passat struck Pc Blades and Pc Clough's vehicle.

IOPC director of engagement Derrick Campbell offered condolences to all those affected. "We recognise the devastating impact the incident has had on those in the force, and the wider policing community," Campbell said. He added that investigators had obtained initial accounts from officers involved in the pursuit, the incident log, and in-car footage. "Work is ongoing to obtain additional material," he said.

Community mourns officers and young men

Tributes flooded social media in the hours after the crash. Friends of the five young men described being "heartbroken" and "lost for words," saying they "can't believe it." Balloon releases have been planned across several days — Monday through Thursday — at locations including South Bank. A silent prayer vigil is also scheduled at St John the Evangelist Church in South Bank on Monday, where the parish priest will ask those present to "say prayers every hour on the hour for those who lost their lives, for their families, friends and colleagues and all who are struggling with the great sense of loss."

Pc Blades, a husband and father of two, had recently joined Seaton Carew FC as a coach and was due to take charge of the club's under-sevens Seahawks team — a role that would also have seen him coach his youngest son. "Matty and his oldest son are much-loved members of our club and our U10 Lions football family," the club said in a social media statement.

FC Hartlepool, where Pc Blades coached the under-10 Reds — a team that included his eldest son — described him as "a role model, a mentor, a friend, and someone the children looked up to and admired."

A tribute to Pc Clough from a man who knew him read: "True friend, fantastic soldier and I have no doubt even better police officer. Taken far too soon — words fail me right now. Until we meet again sleep tight my mate."

Politicians respond

Anna Turley, MP for the Redcar constituency where the crash occurred, paid condolences on Sunday and said the "whole community is reeling here today," describing Cleveland Police as a "close-knit" force. Cleveland Police and crime commissioner Matt Storey told Sky News: "It is a small place, and the force is a really tight-knit family, really, and I think it will have a big impact on them."

Friends of Theo Rae, Cole Worthy and Makai Saddington said "life will never be the same" and remembered them as "the most kindest lads about." Jacob Matusiak was described by one social media user as "the funniest, caring, kind hearted person in the world" who "lit up every room." A message dedicated to all five read: "We all knew use and knew use had hearts of gold and most loyalist lads."

The IOPC investigation remains ongoing.

Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)