A66 crash RECAP: Major update after seven killed in South Bank wrong way crash
Pc Matthew Blades and Pc Tom Clough were travelling in a marked police vehicle and going in the right direction.
A66 crash: Two police officers amongst seven dead in horror crash
Five youngsters who died when their car was driven the wrong way down the A66 before smashing into a police vehicle, killing two officers, have been named by Cleveland Police. Michael Robert Cahill, Theo Rae, Cole Worthy, Jacob Matusiak and 18-year-old Makai Saddington were killed when their Volkswagen Passat collided with a marked police vehicle in South Bank near Middlesbrough.
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed when the Passat that was travelling the wrong way down the dual carriageway collided with their marked armed response vehicle that was going in the right direction. Family Liaison Officers are continuing to work with the families all of those who sadly lost their lives in the collision. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened an investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash at 3.39am in South Bank after a mandatory referral from Cleveland Police. Officers from the force spotted a suspicious vehicle and a pursuit began before the car travelled onto the A66 and collided with a police car, the watchdog said. It is understood the police vehicle Pc Blades and Pc Clough were travelling in was not part of the pursuit.
KEY EVENTS
- Police confirm names of 5 people who died in Volkswagen Passat 13:48
- Football club pays tribute to policeman who was ‘looking forward to coaching his own son’12:19
- Five people killed in car pictured10:58
- What we know about A66 crash10:12
- ‘Whole community is reeling here today’08:58
- Two police officers killed in the crash named 16:20
- Home Secretary issues statement 15:19
- Police statement in full13:45
- Volkswagen Passat was travelling the wrong way13:41
- Seven people dead – including two serving police officers13:37
- Blue forensic tent at crash site13:20
- ‘Police sighted a suspicious vehicle and pursuit began’11:12
- IOPC investigation underway after fatal road collision11:10
- Crash involved two vehicles09:50
- ‘Number of patients died at the scene’09:47
- Where did the crash happen?09:29
- Police statement in full09:24
- ‘Multiple fatalities’09:18
Police confirm names of 5 people who died in Volkswagen Passat
Cleveland Police have now confirmed the names of the five people who died in the Volkswagen Passat involved in the collision on the A66.
Their names are:
Michael Robert Cahill, 23 years old.
Theo Rae, 17 years old.
Cole Robert Worthy, 16 years old.
Jacob Matusiak, 23 years old.
Makai Saddington, 18 years old.
The police force added in a statement: “Family Liaison Officers are continuing to work with the families all of those who sadly lost their lives in the collision.”
Police roadblock remains in place
A police roadblock is still in place after the fatal crash on the A66 in South Bank in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Police roadblock still in place after a fatal road traffic collision on the A66 in South Bank, Middl (Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
Football club pays tribute to policeman who was ‘looking forward to coaching his own son’
A local football club has paid tribute to one of their coasches who died in the tragic crash on the A66.
PC Matthew Blades, known as Matty, was one of two police offices who died.
Seaton Carew FC has paid tribute to PC Blades, who had recently joined the club as a coach and was looking forward to coaching his son in the Under 7s team.
A spokesperson for the football club has posted on social media:
In Memory of Matty Blades \u2764\ufe0f
It is with the heaviest of hearts that Seaton Carew FC shares the devastating news of the passing of one of our coaches, Matty, who tragically lost his life in a fatal accident while carrying out his duties as a police officer.
Matty had only\u2026 pic.twitter.com/wouDqJCvxx
\u2014 Seaton Carew FC (@SeatonCarewFC) August 23, 2026
Great North Air Ambulance statement
The Great North Air Ambulance has issued a statement:
In the early hours of yesterday morning, our critical care team responded to an incident on the A66 near South Bank.
Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who have been affected. pic.twitter.com/kOEAGjZVUG
\u2014 Great North Air Ambulance (@GNairambulance) August 23, 2026
Flowers left near to the scene
Flowers left near to the scene on the A66 in South Bank:
Flowers left near to the scene on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough following a fatal crash (Image: Richard McCarthy/PA Wire)
Flowers left near to the scene on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough following a fatal crash (Image: Richard McCarthy/PA Wire)
Five people killed in car pictured
Five people who died when their car was driven the wrong way down the A66 before smashing into a police vehicle, killing two officers, have been named locally and pictured.
Latest pictures
These pictures show police officers manning the closure of the A66 in South Bank on Sunday morning:
(Image: Richard McCarthy/PA Wire)
(Image: Richard McCarthy/PA Wire)
What we know about A66 crash
Pc Blades and Pc Clough were travelling in a marked armed response vehicle in the correct direction on the A66 when the collision occurred at 3.39am in South Bank on Saturday.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has opened an investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash following a mandatory referral from Cleveland Police.
A suspicious vehicle had earlier been spotted by Cleveland Police Officers, triggering a pursuit before the car entered the A66 and collided with Pc Blades and Pc Clough’s police car, the IOPC said.
It is understood the police vehicle the officers were travelling in was not part of the pursuit.
Although the full route of the pursuit is unknown, Ring doorbell footage published by several websites, which appears to have been taken on Lime Road, Middlesbrough, minutes before the crash, shows a car being driven at speed down a residential road and being followed by police cars.
A Section 60 order – which gives officers additional stop and search powers – is in place near the site of the crash until 7.15pm on Sunday. It covers an area around Cargo Fleet Lane east, up to Normanby Road, along Longlands Road and the Trunk Road south to Ormesby Road.
The A66 was still shut as of 9.15am on Sunday.
Cleveland Police a ‘close-knit’ force and ‘police family’
Anna Turley, the MP for the Redcar constituency where the accident happened, said Cleveland Police is a “close-knit” force and a “police family”.
She added in an interview with Sky News: “I know all of them are so professional they’ll be back on with their duties again today.”
A66 remains closed
The A66 remains is closed on Sunday morning – more than 24 hours after the fatal crash which claimed the lives of seven people, including two police officers.
It is understood that investigation work remains ongoing, according to Teesside Live.
The A66 remained closed on Sunday morning (Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
Local MP pays tribute to ‘incredibly brave’ police officers
Redcar MP Anna Turley told Sky News:
I want to particularly put on record my tribute to our incredibly brave police officers, Pc Matthew Blades and Pc Tom Clough.
We know our police officers, every day, every night, put themselves into action to protect our communities and to keep them safe.
I want to acknowledge theor bravery, but I also want to recognise that we have lost seven lives tragically.
Obviously, the whole community is in shock and devastation.
‘Whole community is reeling here today’
Local Redcar MP Anna Turley told Sky News presenter Kamali Melbourne in an interview on Sunday morning:
I’d like to put on record everybody in the community’s heartfelt sympathies to all of those who lost their lives yesterday morning.
It’s a tragedy to have seven lives cut short in such a tragic incident, and the whole community really is reeling here today.
‘Our police officers are heroes’
Tees Valley mayor Baron Ben Houchen said in a statement on Facebook:
A horrible and tragic incident in Southbank this morning and my thoughts are with those affected, their families and the emergency services who attended the scene.
Our police officers are heroes who put everything on the line to protect us, and I know all of Teesside will want to pay tribute to the officers and other emergency service workers involved for the bravery they have shown in responding to this incident.
Section 60 order remains in place
A Section 60 order remains in place south of the crash site until 7.15pm today (Sunday).
The order gives police officers additional stop and search powers.
It covers an area around Cargo Fleet Lane east, up to Normanby Road, along Longlands Road and the Trunk Road south to Ormesby Road.
Families being supported by police
The families of the five people who were travelling in the Volkswagen are being supported by officers, Cleveland Police said on Saturday – although they have not yet been named.
14 ambulances sent to scene after crash
The North East Ambulance Service, which sent 14 “ambulance resources”, said: “We send condolences to all of those affected by such a tragic event and thank everyone for all they did to help.”
Residents woken up by ‘police cars tearing down the street’
Neil Hutchinson told the Mail on Sunday: “There were police cars tearing down the street at 3.30am with lights flashing and their sirens going, it woke me up.”
Ring doorbell footage, which appears to have been taken on Lime Road, Middlesbrough, minutes before the crash, shows a car being driven at speed down a residential road and being followed by police cars.
Heavy police presence remains at crash site
Police officers are at both ends of the cordon – the crash site was not visible from the road closures.
A large white tent was erected over the scene.
More tributes flood in after fatal crash
Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner said “the impact of this tragedy will be felt by many across the country”, while the Metropolitan Police said the loss of PC Blades and PC Clough would be “acutely felt across the policing family, particularly by those who had the privilege of serving alongside both officers”.
Tributes flood in from police forces across country
Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones, of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said: “The loss of two dedicated officers in the line of duty is felt profoundly across the entire policing family and I have personally reached out to Chief Constable Victoria Fuller today, to extend our sincere sympathies.
“Our thoughts are firmly with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, as well as colleagues in Cleveland Police, at this incredibly difficult time.”
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