King Charles has written letters of condolence to the families of the two Cleveland Police officers killed in the A66 crash, after they made the "ultimate sacrifice". His Royal Highness reached out to the heartbroken loved ones of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, who died in a head-on collision with a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way on the major road near South Bank.
Royal tribute to fallen officers
A royal source told the Mirror: "His Majesty the King was shocked by the devastating events and wrote personally to the families of the police officers involved to express his deepest sympathies for their loss." It is thought the King wanted to add his voice to the "extraordinary" show of support after the two men died in the line of duty.
The incident, which took place at 3.39am on Saturday, August 22, has prompted a hugely generous outpouring of help for those most impacted. A GoFundMe page set up by the Cleveland Police Federation has reached £1,134,649 at the time of writing.
Fundraising and inquest details
The message on the page reads: "They were both dedicated and committed police officers who left their families and went to work to serve their community and protect the public. Tragedy struck these two brave Cleveland Police colleagues in the early hours of 22nd August - and they paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. They did not return home to their families. They leave behind heartbroken loved ones who will struggle to come to terms with their loss."
An inquest on Thursday heard that the police officers died from head and neck injuries after the Passat, travelling down a dual carriageway in the wrong direction, hit their marked vehicle. PC Blades' and PC Clough's partners faced the harrowing task of identifying them.
Cole Worthy, 17; Theo Rae, 17; Makai Saddington, 18; and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jakub Matusiak were in the Passat and were pronounced dead at the scene. Seventeen people have been arrested by police officers in connection with the incident.
Separate house fire
On Wednesday, a tragic house fire took place just two miles away on Birchington Avenue in Grangetown, claiming the lives of seven-year-old Valentina Foster and her 34-year-old aunt Natalie McDonald, with four others injured. However, Assistant Chief Constable Dave Sutherland confirmed that the force is not linking the crash and the fire, saying: "Since the tragic incident last Saturday morning in which seven people, including two of our serving police officers, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, sadly lost their lives, officers and staff have remained working around the clock to continue to serve the public of Cleveland. In the same week, we have also seen a tragic house fire on Wednesday in which two people lost their lives, which is also understandably impacting the force and our local communities. At this time, we are not linking this incident to the fatal collision on the A66."
