Two police officers among seven killed in A66 wrong-way car crash

Two police officers were among seven people killed when a car travelling the wrong way down a dual carriageway crashed into a force vehicle. A Volkswagen Passat with five occupants said to be in their late teens struck an oncoming marked Cleveland Police vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough at about 03:39 BST. The BBC understands a pursuit of the car had ended before the crash, with the police vehicle just happening to be in the South Bank area. The occupants of both cars were pronounced dead at the scene. The officers have been named as PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38. Chief Constable Victoria Fuller said they were "brave officers protecting our communities". She said it was an "incredibly sad day for Cleveland", adding: "No one should leave their home and not return safely. "These were brave officers protecting our communities and serving our residents, who didn't return home to their families at the end of their shift." Fuller said she and her deputy chief constable had visited the officers' families to "offer our condolences, support one another, and begin to come to terms with this unimaginable loss". The families of those identified had been informed and were be