Multiple people died after a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat collided on the A66 in South Bank near Middlesbrough in Teesside at about 03:39 BST, turning an overnight pursuit into a fatal scene on one of the area’s main roads. Cleveland Police said the collision caused multiple fatalities, while the Independent Office for Police Conduct said it was opening an investigation.
The crash has cut through the morning in Teesside because the A66 was shut in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane and police said it would stay closed for the rest of the day. There were still significant emergency service vehicles at the scene, and North East Ambulance Service said 14 ambulance resources attended. A spokesman said that, despite the efforts of everyone there, a number of patients died at the scene.
Anna Turley said she was deeply saddened and that her thoughts were with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. She also thanked emergency services who had worked through the night responding to what she described as a devastating incident.
The watchdog said Cleveland Police had sighted a suspicious vehicle and a pursuit began before the collision. Police have not yet identified the victims or contacted their families, which leaves the most basic question unanswered even as the scale of the loss is already clear. The force also asked people not to speculate while the investigation is under way.
That inquiry now carries the burden of explaining what happened in the moments before the crash and why the vehicle was treated as suspicious in the first place. For motorists in Teesside, the immediate reality is simpler: the A66 remains shut, the road is still full of emergency crews, and the families of those killed are waiting for names and answers.
