The father of a teenager killed in the wrong-way A66 crash has been charged with assault at the funeral for his son, police have announced. Gye Worthy is alleged to have assaulted someone at the funeral service for his son, who died in the crash on the A66 near Ormskirk that killed seven people.
The charge
Lancashire Police said Gye Worthy, of no fixed address, was charged with assault following an incident at the funeral. He has been released on bail pending further investigation. The charge is separate from the circumstances of the crash itself, which remains the subject of multiple investigations.
The funeral had been arranged following the death of Worthy’s teenage son, one of the seven people killed when a car travelled the wrong way along the A66 and collided with a group of police officers and a civilian vehicle. The crash happened in July and prompted a large-scale police operation, public mourning, and widespread media attention across the North West.
A community in mourning
The A66 crash devastated the local community and the police service. Two police officers — PC Jason North and PC Sharlotte Burke — died alongside a civilian driver and three others. Their funerals were held in the weeks that followed, drawing thousands of mourners, police colleagues from across the country, and public tributes.
The funeral at the centre of this latest allegation was for one of the teenagers who died in the crash. Family, friends, and community members had gathered to pay their respects in what was intended to be a moment of private grief.
The broader investigation
The A66 crash has prompted a range of separate inquiries. Lancashire Police have been examining the circumstances that led to the vehicle travelling in the wrong direction, including the health, behaviour, and decisions of the driver. A coroner’s inquest is also underway.
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An independent review of the police pursuit that preceded the crash found that it was abandoned seconds before the collision, but the full series of events leading up to the tragedy continues to be examined. Several public figures and officials have called for action to prevent similar incidents, including measures around dangerous-driving content on social media.
Why it matters
The charge against Gye Worthy represents a further complication in a case that has already placed enormous strain on the families involved, the police service, and the communities of the North West. An assault at a funeral — a setting meant for collective mourning — carries a particular emotional weight for those present and for the wider families of the crash victims.
It also adds to the legal and investigative burden surrounding the A66 disaster, which has already produced multiple charges, inquests, and public inquiries. Each new development extends the period of uncertainty for those most closely affected by the crash.
What happens next
Gye Worthy has been released on bail and will be required to appear in court at a later date. The charge will proceed through the usual criminal justice process, with Lancashire Police continuing their enquiries.
The A66 crash investigations continue separately. The coroner’s inquest is expected to examine the full circumstances of the deaths, and police are still working through the evidence around the wrong-way journey and the decisions that preceded it. Families of those killed have continued to call for transparency and accountability from the authorities.
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