Five more people were arrested today in connection with the A66 crash near Middlesbrough, bringing the total held to 17. A 16-year-old boy and two men, aged 18 and 21, were arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group. A 55-year-old man was also held on suspicion of assisting an offender, and a 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill. All five remained in custody, Cleveland Police said.
Fundraisers near £1m mark
The update came as fundraisers for the families of PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, neared the £1m mark, with more than £900,000 pledged to two separate GoFundMe appeals. PC Clough and PC Blades died in the crash, as did Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, and Cole Robert Worthy, both 17.
All seven were killed when a Volkswagen Passat, going the wrong way down the A66 at South Bank, hit a Cleveland Police armed response vehicle heading in the opposite direction at 3.39am on Saturday.
Ram raid on victim's father's home
The home of Cole Worthy's father was allegedly ram-raided at 3am on Saturday, just 40 minutes before the crash. It is alleged that a Volvo XC60 was used, and that vehicle is now central to the police investigation. The house is believed to belong to Gye Worthy, Cole's father. A vehicle deliberately reversed into the front window twice, causing extensive damage, according to those living close to the scene.
Within minutes, a VW Passat containing his son Cole and four friends was racing around Middlesbrough, pursuing the Volvo allegedly involved in the attack. The Passat was later spotted by a police patrol, resulting in the crash. There is no suggestion Gye Worthy, 39, a company director, was involved in any criminal activity. But the attack on his home appeared to be the flashpoint for the chase between rival gangs.
Chain of events
The chain of events began in Acklam, Middlesbrough. One neighbour of the Worthys said Cole's father had lived at the address for around ten years and led 'a normal life'. Another heard a 'loud bang' and looked out to see the damage.
Cleveland Police confirmed both the Volvo and VW Passat were part of their enquiries in the early hours of August 22. But they declined to comment on claims that rival gangs were involved in the police chase that led to the crash.
Mr Worthy's home was rammed at around 3am. By 3.36am, the VW Passat was caught on CCTV racing at between 80 and 100mph down Lime Road in Teesville, pursued by three police vehicles. At 3.39am, it turned the wrong way onto the A66 dual carriageway, at which point the pursuing police vehicles stopped. Just ten seconds later, it smashed head-on into the armed response vehicle carrying PCs Clough and Blades.
Court appearances and tributes
Cleveland Police said two of the 12 people previously arrested in connection with the A66 collision have now appeared in court. Kai Beattie, 19, of Foxrush Court, Redcar, appeared at Teesside Magistrates' Court charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, according to the police. Cameron George, 26, of Micklow Close, Redcar, was remanded in custody to appear at Teesside Crown Court on September 21 charged with drugs offences and possession of criminal property, it said.
A spokesman for Cleveland Police said: "On the morning of Saturday 22 August, Cleveland Police received several reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously. The first vehicle, believed to be a Volvo XC60, was witnessed ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area. The second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, is believed to have been associated with the activities of the Volvo XC60."
Youths wearing balaclavas set off flares and fireworks in a noisy tribute to the five dead youths following the crash. Friends of Jakub Matusiak, 23, gathered at a field in South Bank, Middlesbrough, close to the scene of Saturday's collision. A gang of around 20 masked youths on motorbikes and quad bikes roared around the field in honour of Mr Matusiak, who had convictions for motoring offences. The scenes sparked fury on social media.
One commentator wrote: "I get it that their families and friends will be devastated and grieving, but surely in circumstances where they have killed two innocent men who were simply out doing their jobs, you grieve in private?" Writing on Facebook, a woman accused the mourners of showing "disrespect of the highest level for the two murdered policemen" and said a quiet vigil would have been more appropriate.
Paul Williams, acting deputy national chairman for the Police Federation of England and Wales, told BBC Breakfast: "Every day we can identify now numerous examples of young people sensationalising dangerous driving. Not just dangerous driving, but baiting police officers who are out there to protect the public. It's a real problem. It's causing officers concern. They shouldn't have to be going out and worrying about whether they're going to return home from their shift or not. But on top of that, wondering if they’re going to be plastered all over social media. It's absolutely unacceptable and social media platforms need to take some action."
Offers of support have come in from as far afield as Australia. Officers from other forces contacted Cleveland Police to cover shifts for the distressed colleagues of the fallen officers. The number of donations on a police federation page has reached almost 30,000.
The Government also called upon social media companies to remove videos of drivers recording police pursuits. Matt Storey, police and crime commissioner for Cleveland, called on the community to reach out to police officers. "Reach out and put your arm around them," he said. "They are people behind the uniforms."
He told the Mirror that filming behind the wheel was becoming an "incredibly dangerous and idiotic" trend. He added: "Parents have a responsibility to tell their children what they should be doing on the road. But also have to demand more from TikTok and social media platforms to remove content. They have a responsibility regarding public safety to get this taken off their platforms. They have to be careful about what is on their site. We need to tighten the legislation. It is like the wild west. I have met with many young people about misinformation and exploitation. They understand social media is dangerous; their reaction was that it must be regulated more tightly."
Lauren Somerville, chairwoman of Cleveland Police Federation, said: "It’s so hard to describe how this grief feels and how it will feel. Policing is so unique, so unique. We are injected into the darkest moments in people’s lives, whether that be arresting somebody or you know, saving a life. Whatever it is, officers forge relationships that might happen in a moment or over a full career together, and you cannot describe the grief."
