The father of a teenager who died in a fatal road crash has been charged with assaulting a mourner and obstructing police during his own son's funeral. Gye Worthy, 39, was arrested on Wednesday, September 9, at Teesside Crematorium following a disturbance at the service for his 17-year-old son, Cole Worthy.
Cleveland Police stated that Worthy has been charged with common assault, public order offenses, and obstructing police. He is scheduled to appear before Teesside Magistrates' Court on October 2.
A source close to the family reported that Cole Worthy's mother, Natalie McConnell, was devastated and shocked by the disruption to her son's memorial.
Cole Worthy was one of six individuals killed in a crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough on August 22. Police reported that a speeding VW Passat containing five young men, aged between 17 and 23, collided with an armed response vehicle. The occupants of the Passat, including Cole Worthy, Jakub Matusiak (23), Makai Saddington (18), Michael Cahill (23), and Theo Rae (17), died in the incident. Two police officers, PC Matthew Blades (37) and PC Tom Clough (38), were also killed.
Police indicated that the five occupants of the Passat had links to organized crime and were attempting to evade law enforcement when they drove the wrong way on the A66, striking the police vehicle. The incident is believed to be connected to a gangland dispute over drug supply in the Teesside area. The officers sustained severe head and neck injuries and died at the scene.
One of the victims, Michael Cahill, was remembered at a separate funeral service in County Durham, where attendees reportedly drove cars at high speed around a field and set them ablaze. Meanwhile, hundreds of police officers gathered to pay tribute to PC Clough at a ceremonial funeral in Kirkleatham, North Yorkshire.