Five more people have been arrested over the fatal A66 crash that killed two police officers and five young men near Middlesbrough, bringing the total number of arrests linked to the incident to 17.
Five More Arrests Bring Total to 17
The latest arrests include a 16-year-old boy, an 18-year-old and a 21-year-old man, all suspected of participating in an organised crime group. A 23-year-old was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill, while a 55-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
The arrests were made by detectives investigating alleged links between the deadly collision and what police described as “serious and organised criminal activity”. Cleveland Police said the investigation was being supported by the National Crime Agency and the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit.
The fatal collision happened in the early hours of Saturday near Middlesbrough after a Volkswagen Passat, which had been pursued by police, travelled the wrong way along a dual carriageway before crashing into a marked armed-response police vehicle.
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed in the collision alongside five young men travelling in the Passat.
The five young men were identified as 17-year-olds Cole Robert Worthy and Theo Rae, 18-year-old Makai Saddington, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak.
Two Arrested Suspects Already Appear in Court
The latest arrests follow 12 arrests made on Monday as detectives continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash and suspected criminal activity connected to it.
Two of those arrested previously have already appeared in court.
Kai Beattie, 19, of Foxrush Court, Redcar, appeared before Teesside Magistrates’ Court accused of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Cameron George, 26, of Micklow Close, Redcar, was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Teesside Crown Court on September 21. He faces allegations relating to drugs offences and possession of criminal property.
Police said four of those arrested previously were accused of possessing Class A and Class B drugs with intent to supply.
Police Investigate Links Between Two Cars
Detectives are also examining events that occurred before the fatal A66 crash.
Cleveland Police said officers received reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously on the morning of the collision.
The first vehicle, believed to have been a Volvo XC60, was reportedly seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area.
The second vehicle, the Volkswagen Passat involved in the fatal crash, is believed to have been connected to the activities involving the Volvo.
Police said both vehicles had cloned number plates, but their movements were detected by automated number-plate recognition technology. The Volvo was later recovered in Middlesbrough.
Investigators have said four of the five young men in the Passat had previous criminal convictions and were believed to have links with the other vehicle.
Police have also rejected suggestions that people were filming the activities on Friday night and Saturday morning specifically for TikTok.
Inquests Scheduled for Police Officers and Five Young Men
Inquests into the deaths of PC Blades and PC Clough are scheduled to open on Thursday morning.
Separate inquests into the deaths of the five young men in the Passat are expected to take place later that afternoon at Teesside Magistrates’ Court.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths have generated widespread public attention, with tributes being paid to both the police officers and the five young men.
Family members described PC Clough, who previously served with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, as “our hero” who was “always on public duty”.
PC Blades’s wife described her husband as her “beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father” to their two young sons.
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Friends of the five young men have also expressed their grief on social media, describing themselves as heartbroken and struggling to believe what had happened.
Police Chief Vows to Bring Those Responsible to Justice
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, who has strategic responsibility for the investigation, described the case as a fast-moving and complex inquiry.
He said there were significant links to serious and organised criminal activity and stressed that police had a responsibility to investigate the alleged criminal conduct connected to the fatal incident.
“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,” Fox said.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has also provided information about the circumstances surrounding the police pursuit.
According to the watchdog, Cleveland Police began the chase after receiving intelligence concerning “numerous incidents” linked to the Passat. The vehicle had activated an automated number-plate recognition camera and was believed to be operating with cloned registration plates.
PC Blades and PC Clough were not part of the original pursuit. They had been called to the area to assist officers searching for the Passat.
More Than £750,000 Raised for Officers’ Families
A fundraising campaign established for the families of the two fallen police officers has raised more than £750,000.
The Cleveland Police Federation said the money would be divided equally between the families of PC Blades and PC Clough, while continued support would also be provided to them.
Meanwhile, around 200 people reportedly gathered on Tuesday to release balloons in memory of the five young men who died in the crash.
The gathering also generated controversy online, with some people criticising the release of balloons because of potential harm to wildlife when they eventually fall to the ground.
Young people wearing masks were reportedly seen arriving on scooters, off-road bikes and quad bikes, while some boys on bicycles carried orange and red flares that filled the sky with smoke.
Police Federation Raises Concern Over Dangerous Driving
Paul Williams, acting deputy national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, used the incident to raise concerns about dangerous driving and behaviour directed at police officers.
He claimed some young people were effectively “baiting police officers” through dangerous driving and recording such behaviour for social media.
Williams said officers should not have to worry about whether they would safely return home after their shifts or whether their encounters with dangerous drivers would subsequently be circulated online.
He also called on social media platforms to take stronger action against content that sensationalises dangerous driving.
The latest arrests mean 17 people have now been arrested in connection with the investigation, as detectives continue examining the fatal A66 crash, the events that preceded it and possible links to organised criminal activity.
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