An initial investigation has revealed no evidence of "tactical contact" or the use of a stinger by police before a fatal A66 crash on 22 August. The collision, which killed five young men and two police officers, involved a Volkswagen Passat and a marked Cleveland Police vehicle near Middlesbrough.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) stated its initial investigation found no evidence that police had initiated contact with the Passat. The crash followed a police pursuit that was abandoned after the Passat turned the wrong way onto the dual carriageway.
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, who were not following the Passat, died in the collision. The five people in the Passat who died were Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Robert Worthy, 17.
Emily Barry, IOPC director of engagement, said the full investigation will take months to conclude due to the volume of information to review. The IOPC has commissioned two expert reports, one on collision reconstruction and another on police pursuit policies and procedures.