Seven killed after wrong-way Passat hits armed police car on A66 near Middlesbrough
A Volkswagen Passat driving the wrong way struck an armed-response police car on the A66 near Middlesbrough; seven people, including two officers, were killed.
Seven people died after a car driving the wrong way struck a marked armed response police vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough, the authorities confirmed. The collision happened on Saturday and left the local community and emergency services reeling.
Two police officers were among the dead: 38-year-old Tom Clough and 37-year-old Matthew Blades. They were in the marked vehicle responding on the A66 when a Volkswagen Passat, travelling at high speed the wrong way, hit their car.
Inside the Passat were five people who also died in the crash: 18-year-old Makai Saddington; 23-year-old Michael Robert Cahill; 23-year-old Jacob Matusiak; 17-year-old Theo Rae; and 17-year-old Cole Robert Worthy. Police say officers had been tracking the Passat shortly before the collision, but the pursuit was terminated just seconds before the impact.
Public outcry and online footage
The case has renewed debate over footage of dangerous driving shared on social media. A TikTok account believed to belong to 18-year-old Makai Saddington previously posted videos that allegedly showed reckless driving; those clips have since been removed.
The government urged social media companies to take down posts that celebrate dangerous behaviour, and Prime Minister Andy Barnham described sharing such material as "truly condemnable." Defence Secretary Luke Pollard said that "social media companies can easily remove the content and adjust their algorithms to prevent its spread" and added that the government "has already taken steps" to press platforms on the issue. Pollard warned companies understand that users post to attract views and that higher view counts can sometimes generate income, creating a financial incentive to publish "shocking content."
In the days after the crash, two GoFundMe pages set up for the families of PC Matthew Blades (37) and PC Tom Clough (38) raised more than £450,000 combined. Local and national authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the collision.
Photo: EPA
