PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough have been named as the two Cleveland Police officers killed alongside five others in a crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough, as investigators examine CCTV footage and questions over the police pursuit that preceded the collision.
Tributes have poured in for two “brave” police officers who died in a crash on the A66 that claimed the lives of seven people in total on Saturday morning. PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the dual carriageway near Middlesbrough collided head-on with their marked armed response vehicle, which was travelling in the correct direction. Cleveland Police said the families of the five people who were travelling in the Volkswagen are being supported by officers, though they have not yet been publicly named.
Questions over the pursuit
Reports suggest that a police pursuit involving the Volkswagen had already been called off shortly before the fatal collision took place. The circumstances surrounding that decision, and its exact timing, are likely to form a key part of the ongoing investigation.
It has also been reported that Blades and Clough were not the officers originally involved in pursuing the Volkswagen. The two officers were reportedly in the area at the time but were not directly part of the initial pursuit, and investigators may examine whether they were responding to a request for assistance or were instead travelling on the A66 independently when the collision occurred.
Sources have said the Volkswagen had been linked to other offences before police became involved, having been flagged over suspected links to previous offences. Cleveland Police has not publicly provided further detail about the nature of those alleged offences.
What CCTV footage shows
Footage from a Ring doorbell camera reportedly captured the moments leading up to the crash. The footage shows the Volkswagen travelling along Lime Road in Teesville at approximately 3.36am, followed shortly afterwards by police vehicles using blue lights and sirens. According to reports based on this footage, the pursuit is understood to have begun around a mile from the crash site, suggesting the sequence of events leading up to the collision unfolded over a relatively short distance and timeframe.
The emergency response
The collision occurred at 3.39am in South Bank, prompting a significant emergency response. Fourteen separate resources were deployed to the scene, including ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, a hazardous area response team, and a doctor from the Great North Air Ambulance Service.
Watchdog investigation launched
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) opened its investigation into the circumstances of the crash shortly after 6am, less than three hours after the collision, following a mandatory referral from Cleveland Police. Such referrals are required whenever deaths occur following contact with police.
Force pays tribute
Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller personally visited the families of both officers to offer her condolences and support. She described the day as “incredibly sad” for the force, saying the losses had been felt not only within Cleveland Police but across local communities and partner agencies.
This is believed to be the first time in 14 years that more than one police officer has died on duty in the same incident anywhere in the UK, underlining the scale of the tragedy for British policing.
Ongoing road closure
The A66 remained closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane in Eston while collision investigators continued their work at the scene. Police have warned that the closure is expected to remain in place for some time as the investigation into the crash continues.
