A fatal traffic collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough has resulted in the deaths of seven individuals. The incident occurred early Saturday morning when a Volkswagen Passat, which authorities believe was using cloned license plates, entered the roadway traveling in the wrong direction and struck a marked Cleveland Police armed response vehicle head-on.

The two officers identified as victims are PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38. The five occupants of the Volkswagen Passat have been identified as Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and two 23-year-olds, Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak. Cleveland Police have released photographs of the two officers following the tragedy.

While the basic sequence of events—a wrong-way collision involving a police vehicle and a civilian car—is established, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Volkswagen Passat remains ongoing. Authorities have noted the use of cloned plates on the civilian vehicle, though they have not yet provided further details regarding the events leading up to the moment the car entered the wrong side of the road. The incident has prompted an investigation into the cause of the crash, which remains the primary focus for local authorities.