Donations have surged past £300,000 for the grieving families of two police officers who were killed after a car being driven the wrong way collided with their patrol vehicle on a busy dual carriageway.
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, lost their lives in the early hours of Saturday when a Volkswagen Passat travelling against the flow of traffic on the A66 near Middlesbrough struck their police car head-on.
Two GoFundMe appeals have since been launched to support their loved ones, with the Cleveland Police Federation fundraiser reaching nearly £307,000 by this morning.
In a tribute accompanying the appeal, the federation said the officers had “paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty” and had left behind devastated families and loved ones.
The organisation said every pound raised through its campaign would be divided equally between the two officers’ families.
A separate fundraising page has also brought in a further £30,000 for the relatives of PC Blades and PC Clough, saying the officers died while “protecting the public and putting themselves in harm’s way for others”.
PC Blades, who was a father of two, and PC Clough, remembered by his family as a “hero”, were both killed when the Volkswagen smashed into their police vehicle.
The occupants of the Passat, which had reportedly been pursued by other officers before the fatal crash, were named as Michael Robert Cahill, 23; Theo Rae, 17; Cole Robert Worthy, 17; Jacob Matusiak, 23; and Makai Saddington, 18.
PC Matthew Blades, a father-of-two, was killed after his police car was hit head-on by a Volkswagen Passat driving the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough
PC Tom Clough was also died in the crash, which happened ten seconds after a police pursuit of the Volkswagen was called off
A fundraiser for the officers’ families passed £300,000 on Monday morning, while a second page raised a further £30,000
On Sunday Our News Outlet revealed Saddington’s TikTok featured a string of videos appearing to show him in high-speed police chases.
One clip filmed in May and set to rap music showed the 18-year-old being driven in an Audi speeding through a housing estate with the blue lights of a police car in pursuit flashing.
Another video on an account linked to him showed a green Nissan being driven around before it is set alight, while images posted elsewhere show him and a friend posing in cars wearing black balaclavas.
And this morning it was reported Saddington was awaiting trial on charges of racially abusing and assaulting police officers.
A video from Matusiak’s TikTok profile also appeared to show him driving recklessly with the caption: ‘Unfortunately I’m not a nonchalant boyfriend.’
Filmed by the driver, it showed a car barrelling through a neighbourhood before swerving onto a green in the middle of an estate.
In broad daylight, the vehicle appeared to career down a footpath as the driver casually spun the wheel with one hand.
On Saturday night the pair had been fleeing from police with the three other men when they drove the wrong way down the A66 and smashed into the officers, who were not involved in the chase.
The police pursuit had been called off around ten seconds before the crash.
Their deadly antics have been linked to a TikTok trend where joyriders film themselves driving dangerously to provoke police into chasing them for views.
The Middlesbrough crash came less than a week after a crash in Co. Kildare, Ireland, when five teenagers died in a head-on crash while driving the wrong way down the M9.
A family in the other car – three women and a seven-year-old boy – were left seriously injured after the crash, when it is understood they were travelling to the airport to begin a holiday.
On Sunday PC Clough’s family said: ‘He was our hero with a fantastic sense of humour. Jumped into action whenever needed, and willing to help anyone for any reason.
‘Proudly fought for his country to make the world a better place. Always on public duty throughout his short life.
‘We as a family and Tom’s partner would like to express our sincere gratitude for the overwhelming support and condolences from friends, colleagues and the wider community.’
PC Blades’s widow said on Sunday evening that ‘no words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt’, who she described as ‘my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys’.
The officer could be seen in social media posts smiling as he attended Manchester United football matches and ran a half-marathon.
He had recently started coaching at amateur football team Seaton Carew FC and was preparing to begin taking its under-sevens squad, for which his son plays.
His wife added: ‘He was an adored son and brother, a perfect son-in-law, and the most fun uncle. He was loved beyond words by all his family and friends, and his loss has left a space that can never be filled.
Makai Saddington, one of the five killed in the Volkswagen, posted videos on TikTok of him being chased by police and was awaiting trial for racially abusing and assaulting officers
Jacob Matusiak, another occupant of the car which hit the officers, also posted videos of himself driving recklessly
Close friends Theo Rae (left) and Cole Robert Worthy both died in the crash on Saturday
Michael Robert Cahill was praised by those who knew him as a ‘lovely, down to earth lad’
‘He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness. The pain of losing him is beyond words, and our lives will never be the same. Neither will the love he gave us ever fade.
‘Our children will grow up knowing what an incredible father he was and will always be, and I will carry his love, his memory and everything we shared with me always.’
She also thanked all the emergency services and the ‘police family’ for their support.
In its own tribute, Cleveland Police Federation said: ‘PC Matt Blades and PC Tom Clough were both dedicated and committed Police Officers who left their families and went to work to serve their community and protect the public.
‘They paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. They did not return home to their families.
‘They leave behind heartbroken loved ones who will struggle to come to terms with the loss of their loved one.’
