A tragic road crash on the A66 has claimed the lives of seven people, including two police officers and five young men who were travelling in a Volkswagen Passat. The collision happened in the early hours of Saturday after the car was driven the wrong way along the dual carriageway near Middlesbrough. The two officers, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were not involved in the pursuit but were struck in the catastrophic head-on collision. The police pursuit had reportedly been called off around 10 seconds before the crash.
One of those killed, 18-year-old Makai Saddington, had been awaiting trial over allegations involving the assault of a police sergeant and racially aggravated alarm or distress caused to another officer. He had appeared before Teesside magistrates on July 17, with the case later adjourned.
Reports have also highlighted social media clips allegedly showing Saddington involved in previous police chases. The other young men in the vehicle were identified as Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Robert Worthy, 17.
The deaths have left the families of the two officers devastated. The widow of one of the officers described the pain of losing her husband as being beyond words. The crash has also raised further questions about dangerous driving, police pursuits and the consequences of reckless behaviour on roads. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collision are continuing.