The mother of Michael Cahill, 23, one of five young men killed in the A66 crash, has urged his friends to bring vehicles to a balloon release to give him “the send-off he deserves”.
Michael was among five people travelling in a Volkswagen Passat which crashed into a marked police car while travelling the wrong way on the A66. Seven people were killed in total.
Five young men killed in the crash
Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, Jacob Matusiak, 23, and Michael were all pronounced dead at the scene in South Bank on August 22. PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were the two officers killed in the police vehicle.
Michael’s mum has now urged friends to bring “bikes, jeeps, cars and quads” to a balloon release in a field in Peterlee, County Durham, on Thursday evening. The message was posted on social media as she announced a reported “change of plans” for the tribute.
Vigils and tributes held
A series of vigils and balloon releases have already been held following the deaths of the five young men. Around 100 people gathered on Wednesday night to pay tribute to Makai, Theo and Cole, with some of those attending seen setting off flares.
A separate vigil was held for Jacob Matusiak on Monday, where orange balloons were released into the sky as crowds cheered. People wearing face coverings were also pictured setting off coloured flares, filling the sky with thick orange, red and blue smoke.
Police pursuit and aftermath
The Passat had been pursued by police following an earlier incident in which a house in the Acklam area of Middlesbrough, linked to Worthy, was rammed by a vehicle. The pursuit ended when the Passat travelled the wrong way down the A66.
Police have previously said the five in the Passat may have had links to “serious and organised criminal activity”, while four of them had previous convictions. PC Blades and PC Clough were not involved in the original pursuit but had been called to the area to assist with the search for the Passat.
Inquests have also opened into the deaths of those killed in the crash. Tributes have also poured in for the two officers following their deaths, with an online appeal raising money for their families passing £1 million on Wednesday.
