A66 crash latest: 12 arrests as police release more details about what happened before collision

Five young men who died after hitting a police car on the A66 near Middlesbrough may have had links to “serious and organised criminal activity”, it has emerged. Twelve suspects were arrested by detectives investigating the events leading up to the wrong-way crash on the dual carriageway, which killed seven people, including two police officers. Cleveland Police said nine men and three women aged between 19 and 61 have been detained on suspicion of offences ranging from possession of a firearm to participating in the activities of a crime group. One of them, Cameron George, 26, was charged with possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of criminal property, Cleveland Police said. All are from the Teesside area and were held during a fast-moving and complex investigation, Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox said. PCs Matthew Blades, 37, and Tom Clough, 38, were killed when a Volkswagen Passat – which had been pursued by police – was driven the wrong way along a dual carriageway and hit their marked armed response vehicle. Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak were pronounced dead at the scene in Teesside early on Saturday. • Subscribe to ITV News on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2lOHmNj • Get breaking news and more stories at http://www.itv.com/news Follow ITV News on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@itvnews?lang=en Follow ITV News on Instagram:   / itvnews   Follow ITV News on Facebook:   / itvnews   Follow ITV News on X:   / itvnews