TikTok footage has emerged showing one of the men killed in the devastating A66 crash, which also claimed the lives of two police officers, apparently filming himself driving dangerously in the months prior to the tragedy.
Video shows reckless driving
The video, posted 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 clip, seemingly recorded by the driver himself, captures a car tearing through a residential area in broad daylight before veering onto a grassed area in the middle of a housing estate. The vehicle then appears to career down a path as the driver steers one-handed, with his other hand holding the camera.
The crash and victims
Mr Matusiak was among seven people who perished 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.
The group of young men 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. All seven, including the two officers and the five occupants of the VW Passat, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Heartfelt tributes have poured in for the two officers who lost their lives, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and his colleague Tom Clough, 38, with the pair hailed for their bravery and dedication to duty as their devastated families shared their grief.
Pursuit and investigation
Police had been pursuing the Passat following reports of "numerous incidents" connected to the vehicle. Video evidence from a police car captured the chase lasting just under seven minutes before the Passat veered onto the wrong carriageway of the A66, prompting officers to "aborted" their pursuit, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Ring doorbell recording at 3.36am captures the VW Passat speeding along Lime Road in Middlesbrough. A mere three minutes following the documented pursuit, at 3.39am, the vehicle collided with a separate armed-response unit, which was travelling correctly on the A66.
Clips uploaded to a TikTok profile thought to be Makai Saddington's in March 2025 depicted him alongside four companions seemingly engaged in what looked like evading police. The footage depicts the cars navigating across a field and has subsequently been removed.
Tributes and community response
On Sunday, PC Clough's relatives delivered a heartfelt homage 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."
Sunday evening saw PC Blades' spouse state "no words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt". She characterised him as "my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys". She continued: "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 has been set up for the officers' families and has already raised more than £100,000.
The crash occurred just a week following the deaths of five teenagers in Ireland during a head-on motorway smash. The masked teenagers were travelling the wrong way down the M9 in a stolen BMW at 2am last Sunday.
In the wake of the A66 tragedy, relatives and friends of the young victims have shared heartfelt tributes. Mr Matusiak's sister said her heart was "broken", calling her brother her "best friend always and forever". Mr Cahill was remembered as a "lovely, down to earth lad" while Mr Rae was praised for having a "heart of gold", being someone who would have "done anything for anyone".
Memorial balloon releases have been organised in their honour on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at various spots including South Bank. One tribute, dedicated to all five, read: "We all knew use and knew use had hearts of gold and most loyalist lads."
The affected stretch of the A66 remains shut while repair works are under way, with the road expected to reopen on Monday. Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey stressed the importance of allowing the IOPC to carry out 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.
