Full Breakdown
Tragedy on the A66 Claims Two Police Officers and Five Young Men
8/30/2026, 8:14:48 AM
Fatal Collision on the A66
Early on 22 August, a marked armed-response police vehicle carrying PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, was struck head-on by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way on the dual carriageway near South Bank, Middlesbrough (between Normanby Road and Church Lane in Eston). The coroner recorded provisional causes of death as head and neck injuries for PC Blades and neck injuries for PC Clough. The Passat’s five occupants—Michael Robert Cahill, 23; Jacob Matusiak, 23; Makai Saddington, 18; Theo Rae, 17; and Cole Worthy, 17—also died, with provisional causes ranging from head and chest injuries to blunt head injury.
Background to the Police Pursuit
The collision followed an aborted police pursuit of the Passat. Earlier that morning, officers had responded to reports of two vehicles driving dangerously: a Volvo XC60 that rammed properties and the Passat, both later identified as using cloned number plates via automated recognition. The two officers were not involved in the original pursuit but were dispatched to assist with locating the Passat.
Inquests and Findings
Short hearings at Teesside Coroner’s Court, presided over by Area Coroner Paul Appleton, confirmed the provisional injury causes for the officers and the five young men. The coroner is awaiting full post-mortem examinations, a report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and the police collision report before final conclusions are issued.
Community Tributes and Fundraising
A minute’s applause was observed before Middlesbrough FC’s Championship match against West Bromwich Albion, with images of the officers displayed on the Riverside Stadium screen. Hartlepool United held a two-minute silence before their National League fixture. Floral tributes have been left at the crash site and at Cleveland Police headquarters.
A fundraising appeal launched by the Cleveland Police Federation has raised more than £1 million. Contributions include £4,000 from the Cleveland branch of the National Association of Retired Police Officers. The total will be split equally between the families of PC Blades and PC Clough for use as they wish.
Official Statements & Responses
- Grant Thorburn, chair of the Cleveland branch of the National Association of Retired Police Officers, described the deaths as having “hit home hard” and called the public response “humbling.”
- Paul Williams, acting deputy national chair of the Police Federation, said the incident left the “policing family … deeply scarred” and highlighted the vulnerability of officers.
Verbatim Quote
- “There’s always something we can do and the glorification of dangerous driving is an appalling trend, and it needs to be challenged, and that means everybody playing their part to stop it, including the tech companies.” — Andy Burnham
What’s Next
Further inquest hearings are scheduled for the officers and the five young men, and the coroner will issue final determinations once the post-mortem, IOPC, and police collision reports are received.
