Seven people, including five young men and two serving police officers, have died following a devastating wrong-way collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough.
The five young men travelling in a Volkswagen Passat have been named as Michael Ray, Theo Rae, Cole Worthy, Jakub Matusiak and 18-year-old Makai Saddington.
Two Cleveland Police armed-response officers — PC Matthew Blades, 38, and PC Tom Clough, 37 — were also killed.
All seven were pronounced dead at the scene.
The collision happened at around 3.39am on Saturday after the Passat had been reported as suspicious and was followed by police through Middlesbrough.
Footage captured on a doorbell camera reportedly showed the vehicle travelling through streets at high speed before it reached the A66.
Police ended the pursuit after the Passat entered the dual carriageway. Around three minutes later, the Volkswagen was travelling the wrong way along the A66 when it collided head-on with a separate marked armed-response police vehicle travelling eastbound.
The two officers inside that vehicle were killed alongside all five occupants of the Passat.
Flags were lowered at Cleveland Police headquarters following the deaths as tributes were paid to the two officers.
Chief Constable Victoria Fuller said: “These were brave officers, protecting our communities and serving our residents, who didn’t return home to their families at the end of their shift.
“This is an incredibly sad day for Cleveland.”
Previous social media footage under scrutiny
Attention has also turned to social media material reportedly associated with Makai Saddington.
Videos circulating online appear to show previous incidents involving vehicles being driven at high speed while being pursued by police.
One clip, reportedly posted in May, appears to show an Audi being driven at speed with a police vehicle following with its blue lights activated before the Audi crosses a grass playing field.
Other material reportedly linked to Saddington appears to show a green Nissan before it is later seen on fire, while separate images show young men posing in vehicles while wearing balaclavas.
However, the provenance of individual social-media clips and the identity of those shown in them would need to be independently verified before they are presented as established fact.
Independent investigation launched
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.
The investigation is expected to examine the police contact with the Passat, the pursuit and the decision to discontinue it, as well as the events in the minutes before the collision.
The deaths of the two officers and five young men have prompted an outpouring of tributes, while investigators continue working to establish the full circumstances of the tragedy.
