A property damaged by a car shortly before a deadly crash on the A66 in Middlesbrough was reportedly the home of the father of one of the teenagers who later died in the collision.

Seventeen-year-old Cole Worthy was among five young men killed when a Volkswagen Passat travelling in the wrong direction crashed into a Cleveland Police armed response vehicle early on Saturday morning. Two police officers also lost their lives in the devastating incident.

The collision happened at around 03:39 BST, but police investigations have since revealed a series of events believed to have occurred before the crash. Officers had received reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously across the Middlesbrough area, including a Volvo XC60 that was allegedly involved in collisions with residential properties.

The BBC reported that the Volvo had struck Worthy’s father’s house before the teenager and four others later travelled in the Volkswagen Passat. Authorities are examining possible links between the two vehicles as part of their wider investigation. There is no indication that Worthy’s father had any involvement in criminal activity.

The crash claimed the lives of police officers PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, along with five occupants of the Passat: Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Worthy, 17.

According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), officers followed the Passat for almost seven minutes after it was linked to suspected criminal activity earlier that night. The pursuit was stopped shortly before the fatal collision when the vehicle entered the dual carriageway, with officers abandoning the chase around 10 seconds before impact.

Both the Passat and Volvo were reportedly using cloned registration plates, but were detected through automated number plate recognition systems.

Residents shocked after overnight damage

The damaged property is a semi-detached red-brick house located on a quiet street in the Acklam area of Middlesbrough.

Images from the scene showed severe damage, including a shattered ground-floor bay window, broken bricks scattered outside, and damage to an upstairs bedroom window.

Neighbours said Worthy was known to stay at the property occasionally. Some residents reported hearing loud crashes in the early hours of Saturday morning, around 02:00, before seeing a large police presence in the area throughout the weekend.

One resident described the incident as shocking, saying the normally quiet neighbourhood had been transformed by the scale of the emergency response.

Multiple arrests made as investigation continues

investigation into the events surrounding the crash has led to a series of arrests across Teesside.

Police have confirmed that 17 people have been arrested so far, with two individuals charged.

Kai Beattie, from Redcar, faces a charge of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Cameron George, also from Redcar, has been charged with possessing Class A and Class B drugs with intent to supply, as well as possessing criminal property.

Cleveland Police later confirmed further arrests, including a 16-year-old boy and two men aged 18 and 21, who were detained on suspicion of involvement in an organised crime group.

Other arrests include a 55-year-old man suspected of assisting an offender and a 23-year-old man arrested over alleged threats to kill. Both remain in custody.

Several other people previously detained are being investigated for offences including organised crime involvement, possession of weapons, drug offences, criminal damage and making threats.

Some suspects have been released on bail while enquiries continue.

Families remember victims after tragic crash

The deaths of the seven people involved have prompted tributes from families, colleagues and members of the local community.

PC Clough and PC Blades were remembered by Cleveland Police as dedicated officers whose loss has deeply affected their colleagues.

The five young men travelling in the Passat — Jakub Matusiak, Makai Saddington, Theo Rae, Michael Robert Cahill and Cole Worthy — have also been mourned by their families and friends.

Investigators continue to piece together the events that led to one of the region’s most serious road tragedies, while police urge anyone with information about the vehicles involved or the moments before the crash to come forward.