“OUR SON IS NOT TO BLAME” — A66 CRASH FAMILY DEMANDS ANSWERS AS NEW EVIDENCE EMERGES

The family of one of the five young men who died in the horrific A66 crash has questioned the police response, arguing that the tragedy might have been avoided if officers had not pursued the vehicle.

The claims have added another explosive layer to a case that has already divided opinion across Middlesbrough.

Seven people died in the August 22 collision: five young men travelling in a Volkswagen Passat and two Cleveland Police officers, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38.

The five occupants were identified as Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Robert Worthy, 17.

But as grieving families began speaking out, one question quickly emerged:

Could the crash have been prevented?

THE POLICE PURSUIT

According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Cleveland Police received intelligence about several incidents linked to the Volkswagen Passat.

The vehicle was later spotted and an armed response vehicle began pursuing it.

The pursuit lasted just under seven minutes.

Then the Passat entered the A66 at South Bank travelling against the flow of traffic.

At that point, police abandoned the pursuit.

But approximately 10 seconds later, the Passat collided with another marked police vehicle travelling in the correct direction.

That vehicle was not involved in the original pursuit. It had been sent to the area to assist officers searching for the Passat.

All seven people died.

“COULD MORE LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED?”

The circumstances have left relatives of the young men struggling with the idea that their loved ones might have survived.

Some family members have questioned whether the decision to pursue the Passat contributed to what happened.

Those claims, however, have not been established as fact.

The IOPC has launched an independent investigation precisely because the circumstances surrounding the pursuit, its termination and the subsequent collision need to be examined.

Investigators have already obtained initial accounts from officers, the incident log and in-car footage.

More evidence is still being gathered.

THEN THE PICTURE BECAME MORE COMPLICATED

As anger over the crash grew, additional information emerged about the five men in the Passat.

Four of them had previous convictions.

Court records showed that Makai Saddington had admitted assaulting police officers, while Theo Rae had previous convictions involving theft, vehicle offences and an assault on a police officer.

Jakub Matusiak had previously pleaded guilty to driving-related offences.

Michael Cahill, however, had no previous convictions.

Police also revealed that the Passat may have been connected to a separate vehicle involved in dangerous incidents earlier that morning.

A Volvo XC60 was reportedly seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area, while the Passat was believed to have been associated with those activities.

The developments changed the picture surrounding the crash — but they did not answer the central question of whether police actions contributed to the deaths.

That is what the independent investigation must now establish.

SOCIAL MEDIA ADDED ANOTHER LAYER

The investigation also uncovered videos linked to some of the young men.

BBC Verify examined a deleted TikTok video believed to have been posted by an account associated with Makai Saddington.

The footage appeared to show several young people travelling in a vehicle while being pursued by police.

Another video appeared to show a dangerous joyride, with the speedometer reaching around 100mph.

Authorities have stressed that there is no evidence the activities leading to the fatal August crash were filmed specifically for TikTok.

TWO FAMILIES OF POLICE OFFICERS ARE ALSO DEMANDING JUSTICE

On the other side of the tragedy are the families of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough.

Their families have described the officers as devoted fathers, husbands and members of their communities.

PC Clough’s family called him their “hero” and said he was always willing to help others.

PC Blades’ wife described the pain of losing him as beyond words.

The two officers were travelling in the correct direction when their vehicle was struck.

Their deaths have prompted an outpouring of support across the region.

THE QUESTION THAT REMAINS

The A66 tragedy has now become more than a devastating road collision.

It is also a question about what happened during the crucial minutes before seven lives were lost.

Why was the Passat pursued?

Why did officers terminate the pursuit when the vehicle entered the A66 travelling the wrong way?

And after the pursuit ended, how did the Passat reach the police vehicle just seconds later?

The answers will ultimately depend on the evidence being examined by the IOPC.

For now, neither the families questioning the police response nor those defending the officers have the complete picture.

What is certain is that seven people never made it home.

And the full truth about those final seconds is still being investigated.