A relative of one of the five men killed in the A66 wrong-way crash has said that if the police pursuit had been called off earlier, lives might have been saved. The Volkswagen Passat carrying five young men collided with a police vehicle on Saturday morning, killing all five occupants and two police officers.
The incident happened near Middlesbrough in the early hours of August 22. The Passat was driven against the flow of traffic on the A66 and struck a marked armed response vehicle. The five occupants – Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak – were all pronounced dead at the scene.
Family demands answers after A66 tragedy
Jacob Matusiak's cousin has spoken to Sky News, saying the family "want answers" and have requested the "full picture" from police. The cousin said: "We are just devastated for everyone involved. If he was at fault, he was at fault, but they need to give us the full picture. He was no saint and has been involved in stuff before - we know that - but we cannot believe this has happened."
The relative added: "We all want answers - we were told the chase should have been called off earlier. If it had been called off earlier lives might have been saved." The comments come as the police watchdog continues its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the pursuit.
Police pursuit lasted under seven minutes
Officers first spotted the Passat and an armed response vehicle began a chase that lasted just under seven minutes. The car then turned onto the A66 in South Bank, driving against the flow of traffic. Police called off the pursuit and continued on the correct side of the carriageway. The Passat collided with the police vehicle approximately 10 seconds after the chase was abandoned.
Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, lost their lives in the collision. Both officers were in the marked armed response vehicle that was struck by the Volkswagen. Police have confirmed there was no evidence that filming of events on Friday night and Saturday morning was "for the purposes of TikTok".
Tributes flood in for the five young men
Tributes for the five young men have flooded social media, with friends expressing they "can't believe it" and were "heartbroken" and "lost for words". Balloon releases have been announced in their honour, with one taking place on Sunday night and further tributes planned on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at various locations, including South Bank.
One message dedicated to all five said: "We all knew use and knew use had hearts of gold and most loyalist lads." A card and flowers left beside the A66 close to the crash site said: "To my Coley, I love you so much. I'm so grateful for the time we got to spend together. I just cannot believe I will never see you again. I hope wherever you are it is everything you have ever dreamed of. I will never ever forget you. You would of done anything for anyone."
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the full circumstances of the pursuit and collision. The families of all seven victims have been informed and support is being provided to them.
