Police officers killed in wrong-way crash mourned in 'unimaginable loss'
PC Matthew Blades, PC Tom Clough and five teenagers were killed when a car carrying the teens drove the wrong way on the A66 and struck the police vehicle.
Two police officers, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were tragically killed in a wrong-way crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough. The incident occurred at around 03:39 BST on Saturday when a Volkswagen Passat, driven by five occupants believed to be in their late teens, struck the police vehicle. The young passengers who were also killed have not been named. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is currently investigating the incident.
Chief Constable Victoria Fuller expressed her sorrow, stating that it was an "incredibly sad day for Cleveland." She and her deputy chief constable visited the officers' families to offer condolences and support. Politicians, including the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, have also paid tribute to the officers, with some describing their death as an "unimaginable loss." The crash site, located on the major A66 artery through Teesside, remains closed.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) initiated an investigation into the incident, which began with a police pursuit of the suspected suspicious vehicle. Security footage from a house on Lime Road in Middlesbrough shows the car being pursued by police vehicles three minutes before the crash. However, the pursuit ended prior to the collision, and the police vehicle, occupied by PC Blades and PC Clough, happened to be in the area at the time.
The IOPC Director of Investigations, Nicola Marfleet, called the incident "tragic" and expressed her thoughts with the families and emergency services involved.
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