Twelve arrested over A66 wrong-way crash: Nine men and three women held after seven died including two police officers - as force probes second car 'ramming properties'

Twelve people have been arrested by police probing a crash on the A66 which killed seven people including two police officers. PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died early on Saturday when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down a dual carriageway near Middlesbrough crashed head-on into their police car. Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, have been arrested on suspicion of offences ranging from possession of a firearm to participating in the activities of an organised crime group. The five young men in the VW, which had just been chased by other officers when the crash happened, all died and were named as Michael Robert Cahill, 23; Jacob Matusiak, 23; Makai Saddington, 18; Theo Rae, 17; and Cole Robert Worthy, 17.Four of those killed in the VW had previous convictions. Yesterday the Daily Mail revealed Saddington's TikTok featured a string of videos appearing to show him in high-speed police chases.One clip filmed in May and set to rap music showed the 18-year-old being driven in an Audi speeding through a housing estate with the blue lights of a police car in pursuit flashing.Another video on an account linked to him showed a green Nissan being driven around before it is set alight, while images posted elsewhere show him and a friend posing in cars wearing black balaclavas.Police said there is no evidence to indicate that filming of the activities that took place on Friday night and Saturday morning happened for the purposes of TikTok. PC Matthew Blades, a father-of-two, was killed after his police car was hit head-on by a Volkswagen Passat driving the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough PC Tom Clough also died in the crash, which happened 10 seconds after a police pursuit of the Volkswagen was called off This morning it was reported that Saddington was awaiting trial on charges of racially abusing and assaulting police officers. A video from Matusiak's TikTok profile appeared to show him driving recklessly with the caption: 'Unfortunately I'm not a nonchalant boyfriend.'Filmed by the driver, it showed a car barrelling through a neighbourhood before swerving onto a green in the middle of an estate.In broad daylight, the vehicle appeared to career down a footpath as the driver casually spun the wheel with one hand.On Saturday night the pair had been fleeing from police with the three other men when they drove the wrong way down the A66 and smashed into the officers, who were not involved in the chase.The police pursuit had been called off around ten seconds before the crash.Their deadly antics have been linked to a TikTok trend where joyriders film themselves driving dangerously to provoke police into chasing them for views.The Middlesbrough crash came less than a week after a crash in Co. Kildare, Ireland, when five teenagers died in a head-on crash while driving the wrong way down the M9. Makai Saddington, one of the five killed in the Volkswagen, posted videos on TikTok of him being chased by police and was awaiting trial for racially abusing and assaulting officers Jacob Matusiak, another occupant of the car which hit the officers, also posted videos of himself driving recklessly Close friends Theo Rae (left) and Cole Robert Worthy both died in the crash on Saturday Michael Robert Cahill was one of the five in the VWA family in the other car – three women and a seven-year-old boy – were left seriously injured after the crash, when it is understood they were travelling to the airport to begin a holiday.Speaking in Kyiv today, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the Government had urged TikTok and other platforms to remove videos which glorify dangerous driving.Mr Burnham said those who share such videos are 'doing something that's truly reprehensible'.A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The glorification of dangerous driving for clips and entertainment is utterly disgraceful and that is why we have raised the issue of this appalling content with social media companies since the tragedy.' Previous convictions of the gang Cole WorthyUse threatening abusive language to cause harassment, alarm and distress on October 27, 2024 and pleaded guiltyFailing to surrender to custody on May 14, 2025 and pleaded guiltyCommon assault of a police officer on 27 April 2025 and pleaded guiltyDriving without a licence on June 7, 2026 and pleaded guiltyUsing a vehicle without insurance on June 7, 2026 and pleaded guiltyDriving without reasonable consideration on June 7, 2026 and pleaded guiltyDriving using a mobile phone on June 7, 2026 and pleaded guiltyJakub MatusiakUsing a vehicle without insurance on March 22, 2026 and pleaded guiltyDriving without a licence on March 22, 2026 and pleaded guiltyMakai SaddingtonPossession of a controlled class C drug on May 31, 2025 and pleaded guiltyPossession of a knife in a public place on May 31, 2025 and pleaded guilty11 October 2025 three offences for assaulting a police officer and pleaded guiltyAssaulted a police officer on June 9, 2026 and pleaded guiltyRacially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm and distress on June 9, 2026 and pleaded guiltyTheo Rae12 shoplifting offences between October 21, 2023 and May 4, 2024 and pleaded guilty to all offencesThree thefts from motor vehicle offences between January 31, 2024 and September 25, 2024 and pleaded guilty to all offencesOne theft of vehicle on April 13, 2024 and pleaded guiltyPossession of cannabis on April 22, 2024 and pleaded guiltyAggravated vehicle taking on May 16, 2024 and pleaded guiltyAggravated vehicle taking January 2, 2025 and pleaded guiltyConviction of an offence while a youth rehabilitation order is in force on February 26, 2025 and pleaded guiltyAssaulted a police officer on April 30, 2026 and pleaded guilty