A house that a car rammed shortly before the fatal A66 crash in Middlesbrough belonged to the father of 17-year-old Cole Worthy, according to reports.
Worthy died alongside four other young men when a Volkswagen Passat travelled the wrong way on the A66 and collided with a Cleveland Police armed response vehicle. Two police officers also died in the crash.
Police had received several reports about two vehicles being driven dangerously around Middlesbrough before the collision. Witnesses had also seen a Volvo XC60 ramming properties in the town.
House Damaged Before A66 Crash
The BBC understands that the Volvo rammed Worthy’s father’s home during the early hours of Saturday. The property stands on a quiet residential street in Acklam.
The red-brick semi-detached house suffered significant damage. The downstairs bay window broke, while bricks scattered across the ground below it. An upstairs bedroom window also suffered damage.
According to reports, Worthy and the other four young men later left in the Passat. Police are examining possible links between the Volvo and the Passat.
Authorities have not suggested that Worthy’s father took part in any criminal activity.
A neighbour told the BBC that loud bangs woke residents at about 02:00. Another neighbour said police remained in the street throughout the weekend.
Seven People Died in the Collision
The crash killed seven people in total.
The two police victims were PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37. The five men travelling in the Passat were Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Worthy, 17.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said officers pursued the Passat for almost seven minutes. Police had linked the vehicle to earlier alleged criminal activity.
The pursuit ended about 10 seconds before the crash. Officers stopped chasing the Passat after it entered the A66 travelling against traffic.
Both vehicles used cloned number plates. An automated number plate recognition camera detected the Passat, according to the police watchdog.
Police Make More Arrests
The investigation has led to numerous arrests across Teesside.
Police arrested nine men and three women on Monday. Their ages ranged from 18 to 61. Officers questioned the suspects over offences including firearm possession and participation in an organised crime group.
Cleveland Police later announced five more arrests. The group included a 16-year-old boy and two men aged 18 and 21. Police detained them on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group.
Officers also arrested a 55-year-old man over suspected assistance to an offender. A 23-year-old man faces questioning over alleged threats to kill.
Several other suspects remain in custody, while others have faced charges or received bail.
The A66 crash investigation continues as police examine the events before the collision and the relationship between the vehicles involved. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is also examining the police pursuit and has reviewed officer accounts, incident records and in-car footage.
