Seven people, including two police officers, died in a devastating collision on the A66 in the early hours of Saturday morning. The crash occurred shortly after a rival gang allegedly rammed the home of a teenager whose vehicle was involved in the fatal incident.
The occupants of a Volkswagen Passat, traveling the wrong way down the dual carriageway, collided head-on with a marked police vehicle. The five occupants of the Passat, identified as Theo Rae, 17, Cole Worthy, 17, Michael Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18, were killed, as were PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38.
Sources indicate that the youths in the Passat were seeking revenge after their rivals allegedly rammed the home of Theo Rae's mother. An Audi parked on the driveway of the property was shoved into the front of the house. An alleged attack on Rae's grandmother's property also occurred.
It is understood that three properties linked to the gang were targeted by rivals in a Volvo XC60. The incident involving Rae's mother's home reportedly fueled the youths' anger.
Police had been pursuing the Passat for seven minutes before the vehicle entered the A66 against the flow of traffic. The pursuit was then aborted. Approximately ten seconds later, the Passat collided with the police car.
PC Matthew Blades, a father of two, and PC Tom Clough, whose partner identified him, were on duty at the time of the collision. Inquests into their deaths have been opened and adjourned.
Makai Saddington had reportedly posted videos on TikTok showing him being chased by police and was awaiting trial for racially abusing and assaulting officers.