A police pursuit was aborted just 10 seconds before a Volkswagen Passat crashed head-on into a marked armed response vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough, killing seven people early Saturday. The incident occurred at approximately 03:39 BST on July 20, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Two police officers, PC Matthew Blades (37) and PC Tom Clough (38), were killed in the collision. Five other men in the Passat—Michael Robert Cahill (23), Jacob Matusiak (23), Theo Rae (17), Cole Robert Worthy (17), and Makai Saddington (18)—also died at the scene. The IOPC confirmed the pursuit was terminated after the vehicle traveled onto the wrong side of the dual carriageway.
Immediate Aftermath and Investigations
The IOPC launched an immediate investigation into the crash, which is mandatory when deaths occur following police contact. Derrick Campbell, the IOPC’s director of engagement, stated the watchdog was obtaining initial accounts from officers involved in the pursuit and the incident. The watchdog also noted the "devastating impact" the crash had on Cleveland Police and the broader policing community.
Security footage from a residential property on Lime Road in Middlesbrough appears to show the Passat being pursued by police vehicles approximately three minutes before the collision. The IOPC reported the pursuit lasted just under seven minutes before the vehicle veered onto the wrong side of the road.
Background on the Pursuit
The Passat was being pursued following reports of "numerous incidents" linked to the vehicle, which was believed to be using cloned registration plates detected by an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera. The pursuit was terminated after the vehicle entered the wrong lane, but officers continued on the correct side of the carriageway. Approximately 10 seconds later, the Passat collided with the police vehicle.
Victims and Social Media Activity
Among the deceased, Saddington had been awaiting trial on charges of assaulting a police officer and causing racially aggravated alarm or distress to another officer in Middlesbrough on June 9. He had appeared before Teesside Magistrates’ Court on July 17 and was scheduled for further proceedings. Additionally, social media posts attributed to Saddington and Matusiak showed footage of reckless driving and alleged police chases, though some videos have since been deleted.
The families of PC Blades and PC Clough established a GoFundMe page, which raised nearly £290,000 as of Monday morning. A separate fundraiser had collected an additional £30,000 by the same time. Cleveland Police Federation described the officers as having "paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty."
Calls for Social Media Action
Defence Minister Luke Pollard urged social media platforms, including TikTok, to remove videos depicting wrong-way driving. Pollard stated, "We need to see action from these platforms to take down content that could encourage dangerous behavior."
Ongoing Developments
The IOPC confirmed it would continue gathering evidence, including footage from police vehicles and witness statements. The investigation aims to determine whether the pursuit’s termination contributed to the fatal collision and to assess the officers’ actions leading up to the crash.