Multiple people have died in a serious collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough after police pursued a "suspicious vehicle.”
According to Sky News, the crash, involving a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat, has prompted a "significant" emergency response, with Cleveland Police advising motorists to use alternative routes.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it has launched an investigation into the circumstances of the crash that occurred "following a pursuit involving Cleveland Police officers".
The vehicle travelled onto the A66 in South Bank where it collided with the police car, the watchdog said.
"At this early stage, we understand Cleveland Police sighted a suspicious vehicle and a pursuit began," the IOPC said.
The A66 is closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane.
A spokesperson said, "Around 3:39am this morning, a collision took place involving a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat on the A66 in South Bank. Sadly, the collision has resulted in multiple fatalities. There are significant emergency vehicles on the scene, and the road will remain closed for some time.
The public are asked to use alternative routes as IOPC said that they are working to identify the victims and contact their families.
“This is a quickly-evolving incident and we ask that members of the public respectfully avoid speculation."
North East Ambulance Service share details of ‘serious’ incident
A spokesperson for North East Ambulance Service said, "We were called to a serious road traffic incident involving two vehicles on the A66 at South Bank at 3.39am on 22 August. We sent 14 ambulance resources at the scene, including emergency ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, our hazardous area response team and a doctor from Great North Air Ambulance Service.”
An investigation was opened just after 6am on Saturday, August 22, following a mandatory referral from the force, the watchdog said.
