One of the five teenagers killed in the collision on the A66 earlier shared a picture of himself in a balaclava on social media, along with a rap video containing hateful anti-police lyrics. Makai Saddington’s TikTok post, which was still on the site as of 11am on Sunday morning, adds insult to injury, given Saturday's accident cost the lives of PC Matthew Blades, 38, and PC Tom Clough, 37.
Social media post emerges
The picture shows a masked youth, presumably Saddington, on what appears to be an off-road motorcycle. The accompanying track talks about “that's why I hate the police” and makes references to violence. The disturbing post emerged as the full extent of Saddington’s social media activity began to come to light following the horror crash near Middlesbrough.
Saddington, 18, was one of five young men killed when a Volkswagen Passat being driven the wrong way down the A66 smashed into a marked armed-response police vehicle. Michael Ray, Theo Rae, Cole Worthy and Jakub Matusiak also died in the collision, alongside PC Blades and PC Clough. All seven were pronounced dead at the scene.
Crash details
The crash happened at around 3.39am on Saturday after police had been pursuing the Passat through the streets of Middlesbrough. Doorbell footage captured the vehicle travelling at speed through a residential area before officers halted the pursuit when it turned onto the A66. Just three minutes later, the Passat ploughed into the path of the police vehicle, which was travelling on the correct side of the dual carriageway.
Saddington’s social media activity is now under scrutiny, with other clips apparently showing him involved in high-speed driving and police pursuits. One video filmed in May appears to show him travelling in an Audi at speed through a housing estate while a police car follows with its blue lights flashing. The vehicle then appears to veer across a grassy playing field in an attempt to shake off the pursuing officers.
Further videos and tributes
Another video associated with Saddington shows a green Nissan being driven around before being set alight. Separate images show him and a friend posing in cars while wearing black balaclavas. The A66 tragedy came just days after five teenagers died in a separate horror crash in Ireland after a stolen BMW was driven the wrong way down the M9 in County Kildare. Police had attempted to stop the BMW before it sped off in the wrong direction to avoid a stinger device.
The deaths have fuelled concern over young drivers deliberately provoking police pursuits and recording the consequences for social media. Meanwhile, Cleveland Police has paid tribute to PC Blades and PC Clough, who were killed in the line of duty. Chief Constable Victoria Fuller said: “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 Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision. Chief Constable Fuller has urged people to avoid speculation while the inquiry continues and to respect the privacy of the families of all seven victims. Express.co.uk has contacted TikTok for comment.
