TikTok footage has emerged showing one of the men who died in the devastating crash that also claimed the lives of two police officers, recording himself driving dangerously in the months prior to the tragedy.
The clip, uploaded in May, appears to feature 23-year-old Jacob Matusiak at the wheel, accompanied by the caption: 'Unfortunately I'm not a nonchalant boyfriend'.
The footage, seemingly recorded by the driver himself, captures a car hurtling through a residential area in broad daylight before veering onto a green in the middle of a housing estate.
Reckless driving captured on video
The vehicle appears to mount a path as the driver steers one-handed, with his other hand holding the camera.
Mr Matusiak was among seven people who lost their lives in the early hours of Saturday, when a car travelling the wrong way along the A66 near Middlesbrough collided head-on with a vehicle carrying two police officers.
Tributes to the officers and victims
Heartfelt tributes have poured in for the two officers killed in the collision, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and his colleague Tom Clough, 38.
The pair have been widely praised for their bravery after being killed in the line of duty, as their 'heartbroken' family have spoken of their devastation at the tragic news.
The young men travelling in the car have been identified as Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Jacob Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18.
Both officers and the five men inside the VW Passat were pronounced dead at the scene.
Pursuit details and investigation
Police had been pursuing the Passat following reports of "numerous incidents" linked to the vehicle. Footage captured from a police vehicle documented the pursuit lasting just under seven minutes before the Passat moved onto the wrong carriageway of the A66, at which point officers "aborted" the chase, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Ring doorbell camera footage timestamped at 3.36am captured the VW Passat speeding along Lime Road in Middlesbrough.
Merely three minutes following the recorded pursuit, at 3.39am, the vehicle collided with another armed-response unit, which had been travelling on the correct carriageway of the A66.
Clips uploaded to a TikTok profile thought to be linked to Makai Saddington during March 2025 appeared to show him alongside four others participating in what seemed to be a police pursuit.
The footage depicted the vehicles navigating across a field and has subsequently been removed from the platform.
Family tributes and community response
On Sunday, PC Clough's family paid an emotional tribute to the 'hero' officer.
They said: "He was our hero with a fantastic sense of humour. Jumped into action whenever needed, and willing to help anyone for any reason. Proudly fought for his country to make the world a better place. Always on public duty throughout his short life."
"We as a family and Tom's partner would like to express our sincere gratitude for the overwhelming support and condolences from friends, colleagues and the wider community."
Speaking on Sunday evening, PC Blades' wife stated "no words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt".
She described him as "my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys". She added: "He was an adored son and brother, a perfect son-in-law, and the most fun uncle. He was loved beyond words by all his family and friends, and his loss has left a space that can never be filled."
"He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness. The pain of losing him is beyond words, and our lives will never be the same. Neither will the love he gave us ever fade."
"Our children will grow up knowing what an incredible father he was and will always be, and I will carry his love, his memory and everything we shared with me always."
A GoFundMe page established for the officers' families has already surpassed £220,000 in donations.
The crash occurred just a week after five teenagers lost their lives in a head-on collision on a motorway in Ireland.
The masked youngsters had been travelling the wrong way down the M9 in a stolen BMW at 2am the previous Sunday.
In the wake of the A66 collision, loved ones of the teenagers have been paying tributes.
Mr Matusiak's sister described her heart as "broken", referring to her brother as her "best friend always and forever".
Mr Cahill was remembered as a "lovely, down to earth lad", while Mr Rae was said to have a "heart of gold" and would have "done anything for anyone".
Balloon releases have been planned in their honour on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, at various locations, including South Bank. One tribute, honouring all five, read: "We all knew use and knew use had hearts of gold and most loyalist lads."
The stretch of the A66 remains shut while repair work takes place, with reopening anticipated on Monday.
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey emphasised the importance of allowing the IOPC to conduct its investigation.
"I would advise anybody who has opinions or hearing things on social media to make sure that misinformation doesn't spread and we let the IOPC do its work," he said.
