Police had aborted pursuit of car seconds before fatal crash that killed seven

Officers had aborted the pursuit of a car believed to be using cloned plates seconds before it crashed into a different police vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough, killing seven people, the police watchdog said.

Five males aged between 17 and 23 years old were killed when a Volkswagen Passat, which was being driven on the wrong side of the dual carriageway at South Bank, collided with a marked armed response vehicle on the A66 in Teesside early on Saturday.

Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak were pronounced dead at the scene.

Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, of Cleveland Police were also killed in the collision and had been driving in the correct direction.

The incident was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who said on Sunday that Pc Blades and Pc Clough were not involved in the original pursuit, but had been called to the area to assist with the search for the Passat.

Published: 23/08/2026 by Radio NewsHub