A cousin of Jacob Matusiak has publicly demanded answers from Cleveland Police about the fatal A66 collision that killed seven people last weekend.
The family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, pressed authorities for a fuller account of why the police pursuit was not terminated before the Volkswagen Passat entered the wrong side of the motorway. All five occupants of the Passat — Matusiak, 23, Cole Robert Worthy, 16, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and Michael Robert Cahill, 23 — died in the crash, alongside off-duty officers PCs Tom Clough and Matthew Blades.
“We all want answers – we were told the chase should have been called off earlier,” the cousin claimed, adding: “If it had been called off earlier, lives might have been saved.”
The family member did not shy away from Matusiak’s history. “He was no saint and has been involved in stuff before – we know that – but we cannot believe this has happened,” they said. They continued: “If he was at fault, he was at fault, but they need to give us the full picture.” The cousin also expressed devastation for everyone affected by the tragedy.
Previous reports established that a police vehicle had been pursuing the Passat before it drove onto the wrong side of the carriageway, at which point officers made the decision to abandon the chase. The off-duty police car carrying Clough and Blades was struck head-on.
In the viral moment that has driven national coverage, the scale of loss and the emerging organised-crime dimension have made the crash one of the most scrutinised road incidents in recent English policing history. The Passat had been linked to a Volvo XC60 that had been seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area, suggesting the vehicle’s occupants were already involved in serious criminal activity before the fatal pursuit. The collision itself, occurring in the early hours of Saturday, August 22, instantly claimed seven lives and left two police families grieving alongside those of the five young men in the Passat.
Cleveland Police has since arrested 12 additional people — nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61 — on suspicion of offences including possession of a firearm and participating in organised crime group activities. The force confirmed that a parallel investigation into potential criminality before the crash is now active.
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, who is leading the investigation strategically, addressed the case in a statement issued yesterday. “This has been a fast-moving and complex investigation, with significant links to serious and organised criminal activity,” he said. “The events of that tragic night will have a lasting and profound impact on the Cleveland area and the communities we seek to protect,” He continued: “We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident, and to bring all those responsible to justice,” Fox added that the force’s “robust response will continue in the weeks and months to come, as we continue to tackle those that seek to cause harm to our communities and tackle serious and organised crime.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is also understood to be examining the circumstances of the pursuit, though Cleveland Police had not issued fresh comment on the cousin’s specific claims at time of publication.