Twelve arrested over A66 crash that killed seven, including two police officers
Twelve people have been arrested in the UK in connection with an investigation into a crash on the A66 that killed two police officers and five others. They are suspected of offences including organised crime and firearms possession.
Cleveland police have confirmed the arrest of nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, as part of the investigation into the events leading to a fatal crash on the A66. The suspects face a range of allegations, from possession of a firearm to participating in the activities of an organised crime group.
The crash occurred on Saturday, 22 August, killing two police officers, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, along with five other people. Police said officers had been responding to reports of two cars being driven dangerously in the area.
How events unfolded
The Volkswagen Passat that collided with the officers' vehicle had earlier been sought by police in connection with a Volvo XC60 that was seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area. Both vehicles had cloned number plates, but were identified through automated number plate recognition technology. The Volvo XC60 was subsequently traced and recovered in Middlesbrough.
Of the five people who had been in the Passat, four — including three teenagers — had previous convictions.
In its statement, the force also said there was currently no evidence that the events of Friday night and Saturday morning had been filmed for the purposes of posting on TikTok.
