By Sabiu Abdullahi
Multiple people have died after a collision involving a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat on a major road in northern England.
The incident occurred at about 3:39am on Saturday along the A66 at South Bank, near Middlesbrough in Teesside, according to reports by the BBC.
Cleveland Police said its vehicle was involved in the crash, while the North East Ambulance Service confirmed that three vehicles were involved in the incident.
A police spokesman said: “Sadly, the collision has resulted in multiple fatalities. We are working to identify the victims and contact their families.”
The police said the A66 remained closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane. The closure was expected to last “for some time” as emergency personnel continued operations at the scene.
The force described the situation as “quickly evolving” and appealed to members of the public to “respectfully avoid speculation” while investigations continued.
The North East Ambulance Service said 14 ambulances were dispatched to the scene. The service added: “Sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone attending, a number of patients died at the scene.”
It further stated: “We send condolences to all of those affected by such a tragic event and thank everyone for all they did to help.”
Authorities were yet to release the identities of those who died, while investigations continued to establish the circumstances that led to the collision.
The public was advised to avoid the affected section of the road and use alternative routes as emergency services remained at the scene.
