Police watchdog finds no tactical contact or stinger used in fatal A66 crash
The Independent Office for Police Conduct concluded that no police-initiated contact or stinger was employed before the collision that killed two officers and five young men on the A66 near Middlesbrough.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has completed an initial review of the A66 crash that killed PC Matthew Blades, PC Tom Clough and five occupants of a Volkswagen Passat. Police footage shows the pursuit started at 3.33 am on August 22, with the suspect slowing and then turning onto the opposite carriageway while the pursuing officer remained on the correct side and turned off blue lights. Seventeen seconds later the Passat collided head-on with another police vehicle.
The IOPC reports no tactical contact or deployment of a stinger during the chase. A forensic collision investigator is analysing vehicle speeds, and two expert reports have been commissioned—one on crash reconstruction and another on pursuit policies. Families have been informed and will receive regular updates as the investigation proceeds over the coming months.
Why it matters
It clarifies the cause of a high-profile fatal crash, influencing public confidence in police pursuit practices.
In this story
