A66 crash: No evidence police used deliberate contact or stinger, initial investigation finds

An initial investigation into the A66 crash that killed five young men and two police officers has found no evidence that officers made deliberate contact with the pursued vehicle or deployed a stinger before the fatal collision.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is overseeing the inquiry, said on Monday that its early findings showed no indication officers had initiated "tactical contact" with the Volkswagen Passat at the centre of the pursuit.

The crash occurred on 22 August at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, and followed a police chase that had already been abandoned before the two vehicles collided.

The two officers who died, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were not among those pursuing the Passat at the time of the impact, according to the watchdog. They were in a marked Cleveland Police vehicle that collided with the Passat as it travelled the wrong way along the dual carriageway.

The five people travelling in the Passat were Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, and two 17-year-olds, Theo Rae and Cole Robert Worthy. All five were pronounced dead following the collision.

The IOPC's director of engagement, Emily Barry, said the investigation team understood the intense public interest in how the collision unfolded but cautioned that a full account would take months to establish. She confirmed that a forensic collision investigator is still working to determine the speed of both vehicles at the moment of impact.

According to the IOPC's initial reconstruction, the pursuit began at 03:33 BST. Six minutes and 12 seconds later, the Passat slowed as it approached the A66, turned right and began travelling the wrong way down the dual carriageway.

The pursuing police driver did not follow the Passat along the wrong carriageway. Instead, the officer turned off the vehicle's blue warning lights and continued along the A66 on the correct side of the road, the watchdog said.

The Passat and the police car occupied by PC Clough and PC Blades collided approximately 17 seconds later.

Ms Barry addressed speculation that had circulated in the aftermath of the crash, saying there was no suggestion the collision resulted from any direct police contact. She also confirmed that a stinger — a portable spike strip designed to puncture vehicle tyres and bring a pursuit to a controlled halt — was not used by police in an attempt to stop the Passat.

"We continue to recognise the devastating and long-lasting impact this incident has had on the families and those in the force, the policing community, and the wider local community," Ms Barry said. "We are aware there is speculation regarding how the collision occurred."

The watchdog has commissioned two expert reports to support its inquiry. One will focus on collision reconstruction, examining the mechanics of how the two vehicles came together. The second will assess the policies and procedures in place for officers during pursuits, considering whether they were followed and whether they remain fit for purpose.

The investigation is expected to examine the sequence of decisions taken during the pursuit, including the decision to abandon the chase before the collision. The IOPC has not indicated whether any officers are under investigation, and no findings of wrongdoing have been made.

The deaths of PC Blades and PC Clough prompted an outpouring of tribute from their families, who described the officers as heroes. Both men were based with Cleveland Police and were on duty at the time of the crash.

Floral tributes were left near the scene on the A66 in South Bank in the days following the collision, attached to the base of a lamppost with a police car visible in the background.

The crash has also renewed attention on the wider debate over police pursuit tactics in the UK, including the circumstances in which tactical contact and stingers may be authorised and the risks they carry for officers, suspects and members of the public.

The IOPC has previously said that its full investigation will take considerable time because of the volume of material that must be reviewed, including communications logs, vehicle data and witness accounts.

The watchdog has appealed for anyone with information about the incident to come forward as its inquiries continue.

A separate BBC News feature published in the days after the crash profiled the seven people who lost their lives, describing the young men in the Passat and the two officers who died.

The IOPC is an independent body responsible for investigating the most serious incidents involving police forces in England and Wales, including deaths following police contact. Its findings are typically published at the conclusion of an investigation, and it can recommend changes to policing practice even where no individual misconduct is identified.

For the families of those who died, the months ahead are likely to bring further detail about the final moments before the collision, alongside scrutiny of the decisions made by the officers involved in the pursuit.

Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is asked to contact the IOPC directly.