Around 20 masked bikers set off flares and rockets near the site of a fatal crash on the A66 in Teesside on Monday evening, in memory of a joyrider killed in the collision. Seven people died in the incident on Saturday, including two police officers.
Vigil descends into chaos
The vigil for 23-year-old Jacob Matusiak, one of the five young men who died, took place in a field in South Bank, near Middlesbrough. Attendees arrived on scooters, quad bikes and off-road bikes, with some wearing masks, and set off flares and rockets alongside an organised balloon release.
Police have said the five men who died when their vehicle hit a police car on the dual carriageway may have had links to "serious and organised criminal activity". Mr Matusiak, along with three other occupants of the Volkswagen Passat, had previous criminal convictions.
Seven killed in collision
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed when the car, which had been pursued by police, was driven the wrong way along the dual carriageway and hit their marked arm response vehicle. Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and Michael Robert Cahill, 23, alongside Mr Matusiak, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, have been arrested after an investigation over the weekend into alleged criminal activity before the crash. The force received several reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously on the morning of the collision. The first, believed to be a Volvo XC60, was seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area, and the second, a Volkswagen Passat, is believed to have been associated with the activities of the Volvo.
Investigation ongoing
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, responsible for the strategic leadership of the investigation, said: "This has been a fast-moving and complex investigation, with significant links to serious and organised criminal activity."
He added: "We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident, and to bring all those responsible to justice."
