Seven dead in A66 wrong-way crash near Middlesbrough

Seven people, including two police officers, were killed in a head-on collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday, August 22, 2026. The crash occurred at 3:39 a.m. in South Bank when a Volkswagen Passat traveling the wrong way on the dual carriageway struck a marked police armed response vehicle. The two officers in the patrol car, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed, as were the five occupants of the Passat.

Cleveland Police have formally identified the five civilians as Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 16, Jacob Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18. All seven individuals were declared dead at the scene. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened a mandatory investigation into the circumstances leading to the fatal collision.

According to police accounts, the incident began when officers spotted the Passat acting suspiciously in Middlesbrough. A pursuit ensued, with two police cars following the vehicle through residential streets. Ring doorbell footage captured at 3:36 a.m. shows the car speeding down a road, followed by police vehicles. Officers called off the chase when the Passat turned...