The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has released a timeline of the moments before the fatal crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough, which killed two police officers and five young men. The watchdog is investigating the wrong-way collision that claimed the lives of PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, as well as five occupants of a Volkswagen Passat: Michael Cahill, Theo Rae, Cole Worthy, Jakub Matusiak and Makai Saddington.
Pursuit timeline revealed
According to the IOPC, no stinger was used during the six-minute pursuit in South Bank in the early hours of Saturday, August 22. The VW was being pursued by officers until seconds before the head-on collision, after the Passat began travelling the wrong way down the dual carriageway.
An IOPC spokesperson said: "At this stage we can provide a definitive timeline for the pursuit by Cleveland Police officers with the pursuit starting at 3:33am.
"Analysis of police in-car footage shows that six minutes and 12 seconds later, at 3.39am, the driver of the Passat slows on the approach to the A66 junction braking heavily, then turns to the right and travels along the A66 against the flow of traffic. The pursuing police vehicle driver does not follow the Passat onto the wrong carriageway, instead the police vehicle’s blue lights are turned off and the police driver follows on the correct carriageway."
Collision and investigation
Approximately 17 seconds later, the Passat and another police vehicle, which was travelling on the correct carriageway, collided. The available evidence at this point indicates there was no tactical contact initiated by police when the collision occurs and there was no use of a stinger during the pursuit.
A forensic collision investigator is currently looking to work out the speeds that both vehicles were travelling during the collision. The VW was operating with cloned number plates to avoid detection, but it was picked up by the force's automated number plate recognition technology.
A mandatory referral was made by Cleveland Police following the crash, with IOPC investigators sent to the scene and made part of the post-incident procedure, allowing them to begin reviewing evidence within hours of the collision.
Community support and next steps
In an outpouring of support from the community, over £1.2 million was raised to support the families of both police officers, with hundreds of people lining the streets to pay their respects at their recent funerals.
IOPC Director of Engagement Emily Barry said: "I wish to again extend my sympathies to the family and friends of those involved, and to everyone who has been impacted by the loss of lives. We continue to recognise the devastating and long-lasting impact this incident has had on the families and those in the force, the policing community, and the wider local community.
"As our investigation continues to progress, I would like to reassure everyone that we are focused on establishing precisely what happened in the run up to the tragic incident. It’s vital that a thorough independent investigation is carried out to establish the full circumstances, the officers involved at this stage are being treated as witnesses.
"We are aware there is speculation regarding how the collision occurred. There is no suggestion the collision was a result of any direct police contact, nor was a stinger used by the police in an attempt to stop the Passat.
"It’s important to acknowledge that due to the vast amount of information to be reviewed, analysed and verified, along with the expert reports that have been commissioned to support our investigation, we anticipate it will take months, rather than weeks, to conclude our investigation. We have ensured that all families have been made aware of our involvement and they will be provided with regular updates throughout."
