Over £830,000 raised for families of two officers killed in Teesside crash

More than £830,000 has been raised to support the families of two police officers killed in a head-on collision with a fleeing vehicle on a Teesside dual carriageway. The fundraiser, organized by the Cleveland Police Federation, honors PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, who died in the line of duty in the early hours of Saturday, August 22, 2026.

The officers were in a marked armed response vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough when their car was struck by a Volkswagen Passat traveling the wrong way. The Passat had been pursued by other officers following intelligence about the vehicle, which was believed to be using cloned plates. The Independent Office for Police Conduct stated that the chase was terminated before the Passat entered the carriageway against traffic. PC Blades and PC Clough, who were not involved in the initial pursuit, had been called to assist with the search. Their vehicle was hit approximately 10 seconds after the pursuit ended.

Five young men in the Passat also died at the scene: Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak. Tributes from their friends expressed shock and...