Fatal wrong-way crash ‘sparked by turf conflict’ as house of sufferer’s dad ‘rammed by automotive’
The horror crash that killed seven people, including two serving police officers, may have been linked to an alleged “turf war” in which a vehicle was driven into a property belonging to one victim’s dad.
Cleveland Police said its investigation found that two cars had been seen driving dangerously in the area before the tragedy, with one of them, a Volvo, allegedly “witnessed to be ramming properties”.
One damaged home is reportedly owned by the father of 17-year-old crash victim Cole Worthy, who died alongside four others travelling a Volkswagen Passat when it collided with a police car on the A66 in Middlesbrough.
Police say both the Volvo and the Passat were operating with cloned number plates to avoid detection.
Reports indicate the house belonged to the father of victim Cole Worthy (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
According to the BBC, the rammed property is a red-brick semi-detached house on a quiet residential street in Acklam.
Its downstairs bay window was smashed, leaving bricks scattered outside, while an upstairs bedroom window was also broken.
Residents recalled hearing loud bangs at around 2am on Saturday and said the street was filled with police throughout the weekend.
The damaged property belonged to the dad of Cole Worthy (right)(Image: Facebook)
Within minutes of the alleged ram raid, the Passat is thought to have pursued the Volvo allegedly involved in the attack. The Passat was later spotted by a police patrol, resulting in the horrific crash.
While there is no suggestion that Worthy’s dad was involved in any criminal activity, the incident appears to have triggered a clash between rival groups.
PC Matthew Blades died when a car going in the wrong direction hit his vehicle (Image: Cleveland Police/PA Wire)
A number of people have been arrested in the Cleveland area following the tragic crash, including five in the last 24 hours.
Two men aged 18 and 21 were arrested along with a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, while another man, 55, has been held on suspicion of assisting an offender, and a 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill, according to Cleveland Police. All five men remain in custody.
The arrests, which come after a horrific crash killed seven people following a high speed pursuit on the A66 near Middlesborough, come a day after 12 more people were charged in connection to the collision, including nine men and three women.
PC Tom Clough was one of two Cleveland Police officers killed in the car crash (Image: ncjMedia Ltd)
Two serving police officers, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, died in the crash along with Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17 and Cole Robert Worthy, also 17.
The police have also spoken out about potential links to a dangerous online trend that encourages cars to drive at high speeds or in inappropriate settings, such as the wrong way down a motorway.
According to a statement: “At the current time, there is no evidence to indicate that filming of the activities that took place on Friday night and Saturday morning has taken place for the purposes of TikTok.”
Five teenagers and young men were also killed in the crash
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, responsible for the strategic leadership of the investigation, said: “This has been a fast moving and complex investigation, with significant links to serious and organised criminal activity.
“The events of that tragic night will have a lasting and profound impact on the Cleveland area and the communities we seek to protect.
“We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident, and to bring all those responsible to justice. Our robust response will continue in the weeks and months to come, as we continue to tackle those that seek to cause harm to our communities and tackle serious and organised crime.’
A police statement described the crash as “tragic”(Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
“Officers and staff across Cleveland have shown incredible resilience in continuing their work in the face of tragedy. Two of their colleagues lost their lives while serving the people of Cleveland and, while the impact will be felt by our people for a long time to come, they have continued to act with the upmost professionalism.
“I am also extremely grateful for the support we have received, and continue to receive, from the public of Cleveland and our wider police family.”
