A number of people have died after a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat collided on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, in the early hours of Saturday. Cleveland Police said the crash took place at about 3.39am and resulted in multiple fatalities, with significant emergency resources at the scene.
A crash during a police pursuit
The collision happened after officers began pursuing a vehicle they had flagged as suspicious. The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it understood the car travelled onto the A66 and collided with a police car. The watchdog has launched a mandatory investigation following a referral at around 6.03am.
The emergency response
North East Ambulance Service said it sent 14 ambulance resources to the scene, including emergency crews, a specialist paramedic, its Hazardous Area Response Team and a doctor from the Great North Air Ambulance. Despite the best efforts of those attending, a number of patients died at the scene.
Why it matters
The incident is one of the most serious road-traffic events in the Teesside area in years, and the involvement of a police vehicle raises the stakes for the official investigation. When a death follows police contact, a referral to the IOPC is mandatory, and its investigators are already gathering evidence from the scene.
The local reaction
Anna Turley, MP for Redcar where the crash happened, said she was deeply saddened and urged people not to speculate online out of respect for the families and police. Cleveland Police said officers were working to identify the victims and contact their families, and that the road would remain closed for some time.
What happens next
The A66 remains closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane, and drivers are being asked to use alternative routes. The IOPC has said it will provide a further update when it is in a position to do so, and police are appealing for witnesses. Follow BBC Cumbria and North East outlets for live updates as the investigation continues.
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Source: Original report. Rewrite for Your News Website.
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