The joyriders behind A66 horror smash that
Seven people lost their lives when five men decided to drive a Volkswagen Passat the wrong way down the A66 motorway for a laugh – here’s all we know on the group:
Theo Rae (left) and Cole Worthy also both died in the crash
Seven people lost their lives when five men decided to drive a Volkswagen Passat the wrong way down the A66 motorway for a laugh.
Two brave police officers – PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, who were not pursuing the Passat – were among those killed after it collided with their marked police car around 3.30am on Saturday in a tragedy that has shocked the nation.
Four of the five people in the car who caused the incident had previous convictions. One of them, Makai Saddington, 18, previously pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer. All of them were known to police.
The horror smash happened on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough(Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Masked youths paid tribute to the joyriders on Monday, with tributes they were “taken too soon”. Here’s all we know on the group:
Makai Saddington
Makai Saddington will be remembered with a balloon release later in the week
Known to police, Saddington had previously pleaded guilty in court to racially abusing and assaulting officers.
In the months before his death, Saddington, of no fixed address, had been found guilty of assaulting a Cleveland Police sergeant and caused racially aggravated alarm or distress to a constable on June 9.
He admitted the offences at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on July 17 and was handed a 12-month conditional discharge. Other crimes he had been convicted of included:
- Possession of a controlled class C drug on 31 May 2025 and pleaded guilty
- Possession of a knife in a public place on 31 May 2025 and pleaded guilty
- 11 October 2025 three offences for assaulting a police officer and pleaded guilty
- Assaulted a police officer on 9 June 2026 and pleaded guilty
- Racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm and distress on 9 June 2026 and pleaded guilty
Saddington had also posted several TikTok videos appearing to show him taking part in high-speed police chases months before his death.
Makai Saddington was known to have abused and assaulted police officers
But in tributes, support for the families of the five young men have poured in on social media, with many of their friends saying they “can’t believe it”. One wrote: “I cant believe yous have gone. You were the kindest.”
A balloon release is planned to mark his death on Wednesday (August 26) where one pal on Facebook wrote: ‘We will show them how much u was loved.”
Jakub Matusiak
Jakub’s tribute poster appears to show him at the gates of heaven
Matusiak was also known to police and had convictions for using a vehicle without insurance or a licence
He had also previously shared videos of himself joyriding on social media with one video, which has now been deleted, appearing to show him behind the wheel of a car barreling through a neighbourhood and across an estate.
Other videos posted on Matusiak’s TikTok account, which has now been banned, previously showed him in handcuffs in the back of a police car.
Jakub Matusiak(Image: Facebook)
But incredibly, one of Jakub’s relatives has blamed police for the deaths, claiming that had the police pursuit of the group been “called off earlier lives might have been saved.”
The cousin of 23-year-old Jacob Matusiak told Sky News that the family “want answers” regarding the incident and have requested police provide the “full picture”.
They 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.
Masked youths let off flares in remembrance
“We were told the chase should have been called off earlier. If it had been called off earlier lives might have been saved.”
Around 200 people gathered, wearing masks and baseball caps to honour the life of Matusiak on Monday night, letting off orange flares in “remembrance”, riding motorbikes.
Looking at the police officers standing beside their vehicles, a 58-year-old grandmother said: “What must they be thinking right now? This is nothing but a mockery of the lives of those two policemen.
“I’ve watched them walking down there drinking and smoking weed and razzing about on their motorbikes. There’s nothing here to celebrate.”
Cole Worthy
Cole Worthy was known to police at the age of 17
The 17-year-old was another well known to police, despite his young age.
He had a number of convictions dating back to 2024. These include; using threatening abusive language to cause harassment, alarm and distress on October 27 2024, failing to surrender to custody on May 14 2025, assaulting a police officer on April 27 2025.
He also had several driving convictions for driving without a licence, using a vehicle without insurance, driving without reasonable consideration and driving using a mobile phone all on June 7 2026.
He was another who may have had links to “serious and organised criminal activity”, police have said.
Floral tributes left at scene in memory of five VW occupants
Pals described him as someone who would “do anything for anyone” and he also had a balloon release on Monday night in which masked youths on motorbikes let off flares in his “memory.”
One message, dedicated to all five, said: “We all knew use [sic] and knew use [sic] had hearts of gold and most loyalist [sic] lads.”
Theo Rae
Theo Ray can be seen in the poster with angel wings
Theo, 17, was pronounced dead at the scene after being in the car that was joyriding, but this was not his first time committing the offence.
He had previously shared a video on Facebook in the back of a car being driven at speed with police chasing in the background and had appeared in a number of other TikTok videos showing him in speeding cars throughout estates in the Middlesbrough area.
The teen was also known to police and had a lengthy previous conviction list including:
- 12 shoplifting offences between 21 October 2023 and 4 May 2024 and pleaded guilty to all offences
- Three thefts from motor vehicle offences between 31 January 2024 and 25 September 2024 and pleaded guilty to all offences
- One theft of vehicle on 13 April 2024 and pleaded guilty
- Possession of cannabis on 22 April 2024 and pleaded guilty
- Aggravated vehicle taking on 16 May 2024 and pleaded guilty
- Aggravated vehicle taking 2 January 2025 and pleaded guilty
- Conviction of an offence while a youth rehabilitation order is in force on 26 February 2025 and pleaded guilty
- Assaulted a police officer on 30 April 2026 and pleaded guilty
He is due to be remembered this evening (Tuesday August 25) with police expecting a heavy presence at his “balloon release”.
Michael Robert Cahill
The tribute poster for Michael shows him brandishing the middle finger
Michael was the only one in the group not to have any convictions, but it is believed he was known to police to be a part of the group.
His balloon release will be happening on Thursday (August 27) with a poster doing the rounds online and in the local area showing him giving the middle finger.
The swearing picture is surrounded by doves and clouds and reads: “Michael may have left this world far too soon, but his memory will live on in every story, every laugh, every photo and every heart he touched.
The youths had posted videos to social media(Image: Tiktok/unknownm829)
“We will miss him every single day for the rest of our lives. Until we meet again our brother.”
Michael’s mum wrote online: “Fly high my boy forever 23 go and be at peace with ya dad keep me a place up there till will we meet again.”
Police said that on the day of the collision, the Passat had earlier been sought in connection with a Volvo XC60 that was seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area.
Both cars had cloned number plates but were picked up by automated number plate recognition technology. The Volvo XC60 has since been traced and recovered in Middlesbrough.
