Police officers among seven killed in A66 crash named

| Live News reporter Published August 22, 2026 4:14pm Updated August 22, 2026 4:35pm The police officers killed this morning have been named by Chief Constable Victoria Fuller (Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire) The two police officers killed in this morning’s crash on the A66 have been named. Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller confirmed their identities as PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough. ‘This is an incredibly sad day for Cleveland,’ she said in a press conference outside Cleveland Police headquarters in Hemlington, Middlesbrough, where flags are flying at half-mast. ‘These were brave officers protecting our communities and serving our residents who didn’t return home to their families at the end of their shift.’ Both Fuller and the Deputy Chief Constable visited the bereaved families to offer condolences as they ‘begin to come to terms with this unimaginable loss’. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Fuller added that the impact of the deaths is being felt ‘across communities, by our police family, and by our partner agencies’. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A total of seven people died in the collision in the early hours today after a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough collided with a police vehicle on the same road. The other five victims who died at the scene have also now been formally identified. Specialist family liaison officers are supporting their families. It is now mandatory that the incident be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Fuller stated that the force will comply fully with the investigation. She ‘strongly’ urged the public not to speculate on the matter and to respect the privacy of those grieving. The collision happened shortly after 3.3am today after a suspicious vehicle was spotted by police and pursued onto the A66. It is understood that the marked police car involved in the crash, which was driving in the correct direction, was not part of the pursuit. It was just in the area. A major emergency response was triggered, involving 14 ambulance resources, North East Ambulance Service said. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.