(AP) — Cleveland Police said a Volkswagen Passat carrying five members of the public was traveling the wrong way down the A66 highway near Middlesbrough and collided with a police vehicle on the same road going in the right direction.
The seven people were pronounced dead at the scene after the crash at 3:39 a.m.
Police are still working to formally identify some of them. The families of those already identified have been informed and are being offered specialist support, police said.
Local lawmaker Anna Turley said Cleveland Police are investigating the accident, alongside the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
“It is crucial that we respect that process and avoid speculation at this deeply painful time,” she said.