Several people have died in a car crash following a police pursuit in the early hours of Saturday morning. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the circumstances leading up to a fatal crash involving a police car and a Volkswagen Passat on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough.
Officers from Cleveland Police spotted a suspicious vehicle and a pursuit began before the car travelled onto the A66 and collided with a police car at 3.39am, the watchdog said. A spokesperson for the force said: “Around 3.39am this morning, a collision took place involving a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat on the A66 in South Bank. Sadly, the collision has resulted in multiple fatalities. There are significant emergency vehicles on the scene and the road will remain closed for some time. The public are asked to use alternative routes. We are working to identify the victims and contact their families. This is a quickly-evolving incident and we ask that members of the public respectfully avoid speculation.”
Blue forensic tent at crash site
These latest pictures from the scene show a blue forensic tent has been erected.
Several police vehicles, including Matrix vans, are parked at the site.
Police officers at the scene of crash in South Bank near Middlesbrough (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Police manning both ends of the cordon
Police officers manned both ends of the cordon and the crash site was not visible from the road closures.
It was understood a large white tent has been erected over the scene, with multiple emergency service vehicles on the scene.
The closed section of the A66 is bordered by large industrial units to the north, and is close to the major Teesworks site.
A police cordon at the scene of a fatal crash involving a police car and a Volkswagen Passat on the (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Police cordon in place
A police cordon at the scene of a fatal crash involving a police car and a Volkswagen Passat:
(Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
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Footage from the scene
The video below shows a significant police presence at the scene:
More pictures from the A66 in South Bank
Cleveland Police officers and vehicles blocking A66 carriageway at Church Lane junction:
(Image: Ian Buist/Teesside Live)
