Two police officers died from head and neck injuries after their vehicle was struck head-on by a car traveling the wrong way down the A66, an inquest opening has revealed. The crash also claimed the lives of the five occupants in the other vehicle, with all seven individuals pronounced dead at the scene.
Inquests into the deaths of PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were opened and adjourned at Teesside Coroner's Court. The provisional cause of death for PC Blades was head and neck injuries, while PC Clough's was neck injuries.
The five occupants of the Volkswagen Passat who died in the collision were identified as Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, and Jacob Matusiak, 23.
At the time of the collision, the Volkswagen Passat had been traveling against the flow of traffic on the A66. Authorities reported that a police pursuit of the vehicle had been initiated but was aborted shortly before the crash occurred. The police vehicle carrying PCs Blades and Clough was not directly involved in the preceding pursuit but was struck by the Passat.
Evidence suggests the police pursuit was sparked by a rival gang. The Daily Mail reported that a Volvo XC60 rammed the home of Cole Worthy's father approximately 40 minutes before the fatal crash. The Passat, with Worthy and four friends inside, was then seen racing through Middlesbrough in pursuit of the Volvo.
Cleveland Police stated that the disaster may be linked to a broader wave of organized crime affecting the Teesside area. The investigation has led to multiple arrests, including a 16-year-old boy and four men aged 18, 21, 23, and 55. Previous detentions included individuals held on suspicion of participating in an organized crime group and possessing a firearm.
Reports indicate that four of the five youths in the Passat had extensive criminal records, totaling 37 convictions for offenses including drug offenses, assault, and robbery. Makai Saddington was awaiting trial for racially abusing and assaulting officers and had posted videos on TikTok of him being chased by police.
In a separate incident, two men were arrested on suspicion of murder following a house fire in Grangetown that resulted in the deaths of a seven-year-old girl and her aunt. Police are investigating potential links between this fire and wider organized crime, acknowledging they cannot rule out such connections at this time.
Middlesbrough has the highest crime rate in England outside of central London, with rival criminal groups reportedly instilling fear among residents. In the early hours of the same morning as the A66 crash, another property in nearby South Bank was targeted, with a car repeatedly ramming its front garden wall.