In her response, Turley expressed being ‘utterly appalled’ by the accusation, stating she was unaware of the victims’ identities at the time of her tribute, except for named officers PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38.
Although Turley mentioned Cleveland Police had requested the tribute, the force has not verified this, and the region’s police and crime commissioner clarified to the BBC that it does not provide media guidance on police matters.
Subsequent police confirmation identified the vehicle’s occupants as Michael Robert Cahill, 23; Jacob Matusiak, 23; Makai Saddington, 18; Theo Rae, 17; and 17-year-old Cole Robert Worthy, who were all in the car traveling on the wrong side of the A66. All occupants except Cahill had prior convictions.
A police watchdog report indicates the Volkswagen Passat was being pursued by officers for approximately 10 seconds prior to the collision.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct suggested the Passat was operating with cloned registration plates.
On Tuesday, Cleveland Police announced five additional arrests, bringing the total number of detentions to 17, including a 16-year-old boy and two men aged 18 and 21, suspected of involvement in an organised crime group.
Two individuals previously arrested in connection with the investigation have since been formally charged.
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