The families of two police officers killed in a head-on crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough have paid tribute to them, describing the loss as almost impossible to put into words. The two officers died in the early hours of Saturday morning when a car travelling the wrong way along the dual carriageway collided with their vehicle, in a tragedy that ultimately claimed seven lives.
The officers have been named as PC Tom Clough, who was 38, and PC Matthew Blades, who was 37. The two men were on duty when a Volkswagen Passat, being driven against the flow of traffic on the A66, struck their marked vehicle. Colleagues said the pair were remembered by every officer on what became one of the force's hardest shifts.
Five young men who were travelling in the Volkswagen also died in the collision. Police named them as Cole Robert Worthy and Theo Rae, both aged 17, Makai Saddington, aged 18, and Michael Robert Cahill and Jakub Matusiak, both aged 23. All five were aged between 17 and 23, and their deaths brought the total toll from the single crash to seven.
PC Tom Clough was remembered by his family as a hero with a fantastic sense of humour, a man who jumped into action whenever he was needed and who was willing to help anyone for any reason. They said he had proudly served and had wanted to make the world a better place, a sentiment echoed by the colleagues who worked alongside him.
PC Matthew Blades was described as a devoted father who coached the junior football teams of his two young sons. In a deeply personal statement, his wife called him her beloved husband and her best friend, and said the pain of losing him was beyond words as their family came to terms with the sudden loss.
In her tribute, PC Blades's wife said that he had given his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness. The words captured both the personal grief of a family and the wider sense of loss felt across a community that had lost two serving officers in a matter of moments.
Fellow officers gathered to honour their fallen colleagues, their thoughts turning to the two men throughout their shift. With seven people dead, including two police officers and five young men, the crash on the A66 has left families, friends and the wider community grieving, as tributes continued to be paid to all of those who lost their lives.