The five young people who died after their car drove the wrong way down a major A-road and crashed into a police car have been identified. The Volkswagen Passat collided with a marked police car on the A66 near Middlesbrough, killing both officers and all five occupants.
PC Matthew Blades, 38, and PC Tom Clough, 37, were pronounced dead at the scene along with the five occupants of the Passat. The crash occurred shortly before 4am on Saturday, according to Cleveland Police.
Victims named locally
The five people in the Passat have been named locally as Michael Ray, Theo Rae, Cole Worthy, Jakub Matusiak and Makai Saddington. One of the victims, Saddington, had allegedly previously posted several videos on TikTok that appear to show him in high-speed police chases.
One video appears to show the teens driving through a housing estate with a police car following them with blue lights flashing. The Audi can then be seen careering onto a grassy field in an attempt to shake off the chase. Other images also show Saddington and a friend in black balaclavas posing in a car.
Sequence of events
The collision occurred shortly after 3.30am, after police spotted the Passat acting 'suspiciously' and began a high-speed chase. Officers pursued the car through Middlesbrough but called off the chase when the Passat joined the A66.
The car then ploughed into a marked police car, which was driving in the correct direction and was not part of the initial pursuit. Ring doorbell footage published online, which appears to have been taken on Lime Road minutes before the crash, shows a car being driven at speed down a residential road and being followed by police cars.
Chief Constable's statement
Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller confirmed the identities of the dead officers as PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38. 'This is an incredibly sad day for Cleveland,' she said in a press conference outside Cleveland Police headquarters in Hemlington, Middlesbrough, where flags are flying at half-mast.
'These were brave officers protecting our communities and serving our residents who didn't return home to their families at the end of their shift.' It is now mandatory that the incident be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Fuller stated that the force will comply fully with the investigation.
Reactions from officials
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey called the crash 'tragic', adding: 'There are few words that can bring comfort to the family, friends and colleagues of the seven people who have lost their lives.'
Cleveland Police Federation chairwoman Lauren Somerville also said: 'Our colleagues who should have been going home to their loved ones at the end of their shifts are not. And that is just unfathomable.' Local Redcar MP Anna Turley said the 'whole community is reeling' after the crash, telling Sky News: 'The most important thing for all of us now is not to speculate on the build-up to this or any of the incidents around this.'
