Five teenagers and young men who died driving on the wrong side of the road in a crash which also killed two police officers have been named.
Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, and Jakub Matusiak, 23, were in a Volkswagen Passat which struck a police car in the early hours of Saturday.
Cleveland Police had launched a pursuit after spotting the VW acting “suspiciously”, the force said in the aftermath of the fatal crash.
Officers began following the car in South Bank, near Middlesbrough in Teesside, before it joined the A66 in the wrong direction.
Officers ended their pursuit, but just 10 seconds later the VW collided with an oncoming police armed response unit at 3.39am. The police car, which was travelling in the right direction, was not part of the pursuit.
No-one survived the collision, which is being investigated by the police watchdog.
Tributes have been paid to the “brave” officers, who were named as PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, by Cleveland Police chief constable Victoria Fuller.
Friends and family of the teenagers and young men have also spoken of their heartbreak.
In a post on Facebook, Sharon Morgan said she had lost her “beloved nephew” Makai Saddington, aged 18, from Middlesbrough.
“There are no words that can truly express the pain of losing someone so young, so loved, and so full of life,” she wrote.
“You brought so much love and happiness into our family, and your memory will stay with us forever. This loss has left a space in our hearts that can never be filled. Rest peacefully, my beautiful nephew. You will never be forgotten.”
Grieving mother, Kelly Cahill, paid tribute to Michael Robert Cahill, adding: “Fly high my boy forever 23 go and be at peace with ya dad keep me a place up there till will we meet again.”
Ellie Webster, who described herself as a close friend of Theo Rae, said watching his family’s hearts being broken was one of the hardest things she had ever done.
“Theo Rae you’ve left so many people broken,” she said.
“I’m gunna miss your daily checkins making sure we’re all okay. I wish I could take the pain away from your mam, how are we going to get her through this I’ll never know! It just doesn’t seem real. Rest in peace Theo.”
Channy Brown shared pictures of all five VW occupants as she called for their faces to “light up” social media.
Paying tribute, she said they were “top lads” with “kind hearts”. “Forever young forever going to be missed and loved by everyone who new them,” she added.
Others posted details of balloon releases in the coming days in memory of some of the five.
Doorbell footage from nearby Lime Road appears to show multiple police vehicles chasing a car at speed. The footage was filmed at 3.36am, three minutes before the fatal crash.
Teesville resident Neil Hutchinson told the Mail on Sunday: “There were police cars tearing down the street at 3.30am with lights flashing and their sirens going, it woke me up.”
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), confirmed it had launched an investigation into the “tragic incident” following a mandatory referral from the local force.
In an update on Sunday, the watchdog revealed Cleveland officers had been chasing the Passat for seven minutes, but ended the pursuit when it entered the A66 in the wrong direction.
The force had received intelligence regarding numerous incidents linked to the car, which was suspected of having cloned number plates.
The Passat struck the oncoming police response vehicle just 10 seconds after the chase was abandoned. The officers who were killed had not been involved in the pursuit but were in the area to assist in the search for the car.
IOPC director of engagement Derrick Campbell said: “We recognise the devastating impact the incident has had on those in the force, and the wider policing community, and offer our condolences.
“We have obtained initial accounts of officers involved in the pursuit, the incident log and in-car footage of the incident. Work is ongoing to obtain additional material.”
PC Clough’s family paid moving tribute to him on Sunday, calling him “our hero” and saying he was “always on public duty throughout his short life”.
“He was our hero with a fantastic sense of humour,” they said. “Jumped into action whenever needed, and willing to help anyone for any reason. Proudly fought for his country to make the world a better place. Always on public duty throughout his short life.
“We as a family and Tom’s partner would like to express our sincere gratitude for the overwhelming support and condolences from friends, colleagues and the wider community.”
Husband and father-of-two PC Blades had recently become a Seaton Carew FC coach and was preparing for his first turn teaching its under-sevens Seahawks squad.
“He was looking forward to being part of the team and, most importantly, to coaching his own son, who is going to be playing for the Seahawks this season,” the club said on social media.
“Matty and his oldest son are much-loved members of our club and our U10 Lions football family.”
FC Hartlepool also described PC Blades as a “much-loved member of our football family” and “so much more than a coach”.
“He was a role model, a mentor, a friend, and someone the children looked up to and admired,” the club said.
“He was able to share his love of football with his son while inspiring and supporting every child on the team.”
The A66 has been closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane in Eston as investigators examine the wreckage. A large white tent was erected over the scene, with multiple emergency service vehicles around.
The closed section of the A66 is bordered by large industrial units to the north and is close to the major Teesworks site.