Seven people, including two police officers, died in the early hours of Saturday when a car traveling the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough crashed head-on into a police vehicle. The occupants of the car, who died at the scene, have been identified as Michael Robert Cahill, 23; Theo Rae, 17; Cole Robert Worthy, 17; Jacob Matusiak, 23; and Makai Saddington, 18.
Police officers PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were hailed for their bravery after being killed in the line of duty. Their vehicle was not involved in the pursuit.
Authorities believe the car, a VW Passat, was using cloned license plates. Officers in another police vehicle had been pursuing the Passat for seven minutes before aborting the chase due to the vehicle's speed. Approximately ten seconds later, the Passat collided with the unmarked police car.
The two officers were in the area after the car's plates triggered an Automatic Number Plate Recognition camera. Cleveland Police lowered flags to half-mast at their Middlesbrough headquarters in tribute to their colleagues.
Families of the deceased officers released tributes. PC Clough's family described him as a "hero with a fantastic sense of humour" who "jumped into action whenever needed." PC Blades, a husband and father of two, was remembered as a devoted coach for a local amateur football team, preparing to coach his son's under-sevens team.
Social media posts from some of the young men in the Passat appeared to show them engaging in reckless driving and evading police. One clip shared on TikTok in May, believed to show Jacob Matusiak driving, captured a vehicle swerving erratically through a neighborhood. Makai Saddington, 18, also reportedly posted videos appearing to show him participating in high-speed police chases in the months leading up to the crash.
Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller stated that the incident would have a "big impact" on the "tight-knit family" of the force. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.
This incident follows a similar tragedy in the Irish Republic where five teenagers died in a head-on collision on the M9 motorway while traveling the wrong way. The occupants of that vehicle were also reportedly filming themselves. Experts have noted a trend of young men filming themselves in stolen cars during high-speed pursuits and posting the footage online for views and likes.