Two serving police officers and five members of the public were killed in a crash that followed a police pursuit in the early hours of Saturday morning. Cleveland Police said the officers were in a marked vehicle that collided with a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way on the A66 near Middlesbrough. All seven people were pronounced dead at the scene at 3.39am.
Details of the collision
The Volkswagen Passat was travelling against the flow of traffic on the A66 when it hit the police car, which was going in the correct direction. The families of those identified have been informed and are being offered specialist support, the force added.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has opened an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the fatal crash. According to the watchdog, officers spotted a suspicious vehicle and began a pursuit before the car entered the A66 and collided with the police vehicle at 3.39am.
Local response and tributes
The investigation began just after 6am on Saturday following a mandatory referral from Cleveland Police. Anna Turley, MP for the Redcar constituency where the crash occurred, expressed her sadness and thanked emergency services for their overnight response. She urged the public to avoid speculating online to respect the families and police during this difficult time.
North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said it had been called to a two-vehicle crash and sent 14 units, including ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, a hazardous area response team and a doctor from Great North Air Ambulance Service. A spokesperson confirmed that, despite the best efforts of everyone attending, a number of patients died at the scene.
Ongoing investigation and road closures
The A66 was closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane in Eston, with police officers at both ends of the cordon. A large white tent was erected over the scene, and multiple emergency service vehicles were present. The closed section is bordered by large industrial units to the north and is close to the Teesworks site. Police also put in place a drone exclusion zone around the area.
IOPC director of investigations Nicola Marfleet said investigators had been sent to begin reviewing evidence and that the watchdog is cooperating with Cleveland Police to establish the circumstances of the collision.
