Seven people, including two police officers, were killed in a devastating wrong-way crash on a highway in northern England over the weekend.
The collision happened around 3:39 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, on the A66 near Middlesbrough, about 250 miles north of London, according to Cleveland Police.
Authorities said a car traveling the wrong way on the highway crashed head-on into a marked police vehicle.
The two officers inside the police vehicle — Matthew Blades, 37, and Tom Clough, 38 — were killed at the scene.
All five people inside the other car also died.
Police identified them as Michael Cahill, 23; Jakub Matusiak, 23; Makai Saddington, 18; Theo Rae, 17; and Cole Worthy, 17.
The U.K.’s Independent Office for Police Conduct is now investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
According to the agency, officers had been pursuing the other vehicle after receiving information about “numerous incidents” allegedly connected to it.
That pursuit lasted just under seven minutes.
Investigators said the car then entered the A66 traveling in the wrong direction.
The pursuing officers remained on the correct side of the highway.
About 10 seconds later, the wrong-way car slammed into another police vehicle carrying Blades and Clough.
That police vehicle had not been involved in the chase, but the two officers were in the area helping search for the car.
Chief Constable Victoria Fuller called the crash an “incredibly sad day for Cleveland” and described Blades and Clough as “brave officers” who were protecting the community.
Clough’s family remembered him as their “hero” and said he had a “fantastic sense of humor.”
They said he was the kind of person who “jumped into action wherever needed” and had proudly served his country.
Blades’ wife also released an emotional tribute to her husband.
“No words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt — my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys,” she said.
She described him as a beloved son, brother, son-in-law and uncle whose death had left a hole that could never be filled.
“He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness,” she said.
Blades was also deeply involved in youth soccer.
Seaton Carew FC said he had recently joined the club as a coach for its under-7 Seahawks team and had been looking forward to coaching his own son.
The club said Blades and his oldest son were “much-loved members” of its soccer family.
FC Hartlepool also paid tribute, saying Blades had coached its under-10s.
“Matty was so much more than a coach,” the club wrote. “He was a role model, a mentor, a friend and someone the children looked up to and admired.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has collected statements from officers involved in the pursuit and is reviewing the incident log and in-car footage as part of its investigation.
Authorities have not yet released additional details about what led up to the pursuit or the earlier incidents linked to the vehicle.