Two Police Officers Among Seven Killed in Wrong-Way Car Crash on A66
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Seven people including two police officers have been killed in a crash with a car driving the wrong way down a dual-carriageway following a pursuit.
A Volkswagen Passat with five occupants said to be in their late teens struck an oncoming marked Cleveland Police vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough at about 03:39 BST.
The BBC understands a pursuit of the car had been called off before the crash, with the police vehicle just happening to be in the South Bank area. The occupants of both cars were pronounced dead at the scene.
The officers have been named as PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38. Chief Constable Victoria Fuller said they were "brave officers protecting our communities".
She said it was an "incredibly sad day for Cleveland", adding: "No one should leave their home and not return safely. 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."
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Fuller said she and her deputy chief constable had visited the officer’s families to "offer our condolences, support one another, and begin to come to terms with this unimaginable loss".
The families of those identified had been informed and were being offered specialist support.
"…this tragic incident will be felt across Cleveland, within our communities and throughout the entire policing family,"** Fuller added.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was "devastated" by the news and thanked emergency services for responding in "incredibly difficult circumstances".
Security footage from a house on Lime Road in Middlesbrough appears to show a car being pursued by police vehicles three minutes before the crash.
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The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had opened an investigation.
The watchdog said: "At this early stage, we understand Cleveland Police sighted a suspicious vehicle and a pursuit began."
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