A body has been found inside a vehicle that had come to rest in undergrowth at the bottom of an embankment, and North Yorkshire Police have called off their search for missing woman Tracey Smith.
A member of the public contacted police after spotting a black vehicle off the A172 in Staddlebridge on Tuesday night, 18 August 2026. Officers believe the sole occupant of the vehicle was Tracey Smith, who had been missing for over three weeks.
Appeal and discovery
Tracey Smith was last seen leaving her home in the Stokesley area in a black Fiat Panda on August 10. Police had issued an appeal to find her and renewed that appeal on August 18, the same day the vehicle was discovered in the undergrowth.
The A172 was closed while officers investigated the vehicle. A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Last night (18 August 2026) North Yorkshire Police were called by a member of the public after they noticed a black vehicle had come to rest in undergrowth down an embankment on the A172 at its junction with the A19 near the Cleveland Tontine."
Recovery and investigation
The spokesman added: "Sadly, the sole occupant of the vehicle was found deceased inside. While formal identification is yet to take place, officers believe the deceased to be missing Tracey Smith from the Stokesley area."
Police said recovery of the vehicle took "longer than usual", meaning the road was unable to reopen until Wednesday. The spokesman said: "The road was closed and remain closed for most of the day. This was to allow investigators to examine the scene and to recover the vehicle. Due to the location of the vehicle, forensic examination and recovery took longer than usual. Our thanks go to members of the public who responded to appeals for help to find Tracey, including the person who called in after noticing a vehicle in the undergrowth."
An investigation will be carried out to determine how the car came to leave the road. The spokesman concluded: "Our thoughts are with Tracey's family and friends at this very sad time."
