Seven people, including two police officers, died in a head-on collision near Middlesbrough in northeast England after a Volkswagen Passat travelling on the wrong side of a major road struck a marked police car, Cleveland Police said.
All occupants of both vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday. The crash occurred at about 3:39am local time, or 02:39 GMT, while officers had begun pursuing a vehicle they considered suspicious.
What Cleveland Police said about the crash
Cleveland Police said five members of the public were travelling in the Volkswagen Passat when it collided with the police vehicle, which was travelling in the correct direction. Authorities are investigating the exact circumstances of the collision.
The two officers who died were police constables Matthew Blades, 37, and Tom Clough, 38. Chief Constable Victoria Fuller said the officers had not returned home to their families at the end of their shift.
What is known about the pursuit
Police said officers had begun a pursuit after sighting a “suspicious vehicle”. The force said it had formally identified the passengers in the Volkswagen Passat and was contacting their families.
Fuller described the day as an exceptionally sad one for Cleveland. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was devastated by the loss of life and urged people to avoid speculation while the investigation continues.
Similar crashes in the UK and Ireland
The Middlesbrough collision was one of separate incidents in the UK and Ireland that had killed 12 people in less than a week, according to the source material. A similar head-on collision occurred in Dublin on Sunday, following two other recent crashes near the Irish capital.
Irish authorities have highlighted a social media-driven trend involving young people driving on the wrong side of the road. Taoiseach Michael Martin said there could be no tolerance for the behaviour, while police chief Justin Kelly said some incidents appeared to be carried out for social media.
- An Irish parliament committee asked TikTok to explain how it removes content that appears to glorify dangerous and illegal behaviour on roads.
- Ireland’s media regulator made a similar request on Tuesday.
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