A66 crash: two police officers and five young men named as IOPC investigates
Two police officers and five young men died in a head-on crash on the A66 after a police pursuit was abandoned; the IOPC is investigating.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Seven people died in a head-on collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday morning. The crash involved a marked police armed response vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the dual carriageway at South Bank. All seven occupants of both vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene.
The two police officers were named as PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38. PC Blades was a husband and father of two young boys, and a football coach in his spare time. PC Clough was a former soldier, described by his family as a hero with a fantastic sense of humour. The five people in the Passat were named as Jacob Matuszak, 23, Mackay Saddington, 18, Theo Ray, 17, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, and Cole Robert Worthy, 17.
Cleveland Police said the Passat had been involved in a police pursuit that lasted just under seven minutes. The pursuit was abandoned when the car turned onto the A66 against the flow of traffic. The fatal collision happened about ten seconds later, when the Passat hit the police car, which was not part of the pursuit but had been sent to help locate the vehicle. The Passat is believed to have been using cloned number plates.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation, as is mandatory in any death involving police contact. The IOPC confirmed that officers had sighted a suspicious vehicle and a pursuit began, but that the pursuit was called off before the crash. They are examining the sequence of events, including the decision to abandon the pursuit and the actions of the officers involved.
The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, said he was devastated to hear of the deaths and offered his thoughts to the families. The Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, Victoria Fuller, paid tribute to the officers, saying they were brave officers who did not return home to their families. A GoFundMe page set up by the police federation raised more than £400,000 for the officers' families.
The incident has also raised concerns about social media content that celebrates dangerous driving. A video posted on TikTok, believed to be from one of the victims, showed a group of young men being pursued by police. The government has called on social media companies to remove such content, with the Prime Minister describing the glorification of dangerous driving for clicks as utterly reprehensible.
The A66 remained closed for much of the weekend as investigators worked at the scene. Tributes were laid by members of the public and serving officers, and a vigil was held in the community. The investigation is ongoing, and the IOPC has urged people to avoid speculation while the facts are established.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | Channel 4 | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The two police officers who died were named PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough. | ||||||
| A crash occurred at approximately 3:39am on the A66 at South Bank. | · | |||||
| All four people entered the water from the land for a swim. | · | |||||
| Multiple people died at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services. | · | |||||
| The father who died was identified as Hossam al-Khawas, a Palestinian refugee. | · | |||||
| The IOPC launched an investigation into the incident, and Cleveland Police is cooperating. | · | |||||
| The pursuit had been abandoned before the crash. | · | |||||
| Three members of the same family, a man, a woman and a teenage girl, died, and a child was taken to hospital. | · | |||||
| Four people, two adults and two children, got into difficulty in the water at Shoreham. | · | · | ||||
| All four people involved were from the same family. | · | · | · | |||
| Sea conditions around Shoreham were rough due to strong winds. | · | · | · | |||
| The call for help to the coastguard was made at around 2.45pm. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News provided breaking news coverage and then focused on the sequence of events, including doorbell footage of the pursuit and the decision to abandon it. They also included analysis from a former police officer on pursuit tactics and the risks involved.
- “They went to work and never came home.”
- “These were brave officers protecting our communities and serving our residents who didn't return home to their families at the end of their shift.”
- “The impact so intense, all five people inside the Passat also lost their lives.”
BBC ONE West gave detailed updates on the victims, the police investigation, and the community response. They highlighted the Chief Constable's emotional statement and the tributes from the public, as well as the IOPC's preliminary findings.
- “Tragically, two police officers, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, died at the scene along with the five occupants of the Passat as a result of the collision.”
- “This is an incredibly sad day for Cleveland. The loss has been felt across our communities.”
- “Loved beyond words, his family said.”
BBC News provided comprehensive coverage, including the naming of the officers and victims, the IOPC investigation, and the social media aspect. They also reported on the government's call for social media companies to remove dangerous driving content.
- “These were brave officers protecting our communities and serving our residents who didn't return home to their families at the end of their shift.”
- “The pain of losing him is beyond words.”
- “I would strongly urge people to avoid speculation and respect the privacy of the families.”
ITV1 focused on the human tragedy, with tributes to the officers and the naming of the five young men. They also highlighted the doorbell footage and the fact that the police car was not part of the pursuit, and reported on the community's shock.
- “It's a tragedy that's brought unimaginable loss and heartbreak.”
- “These were brave officers protecting our communities and serving our residents who didn't return home to their families at the end of their shift.”
- “You just don't want people to go out to work and not come back.”
Channel 4 provided a detailed reconstruction of the events, including the doorbell footage and the timeline. They also raised concerns about a social media trend of young men posting dangerous driving videos, and noted that one of the victims had previously posted such content.
- “The young men killed when their car ploughed the wrong way down an A road into police, two of them just 17 years old.”
- “There are fears of a worrying social media trend where young men post themselves driving dangerously, bragging and taunting the police for social media likes.”
- “He was our hero with a fantastic sense of humour, always on public duty throughout his short life.”
5 News provided a concise summary of the key facts, including the naming of the officers and the five victims, and the IOPC investigation. They also noted the family tributes and the community response.
- “Two police officers killed in a crash near Middlesbrough have been named as PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough.”
- “This is an incredibly sad day for Cleveland. The loss is being felt across our communities by our police family.”
- “Tributes have been paid to two police officers killed in a crash after a car was going the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough.”
Broadcast Timeline
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