// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Organised crime arrests in A66 crash investigation
PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough were killed in a crash near Middlesbrough on Saturday
Twelve people have been arrested as part of the investigation into the A66 crash that killed seven people, including two police officers.
Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, have been arrested across Teesside on suspicion of a range of offences including possession of a firearm and being part of an organised crime group.
In the early hours of Saturday, a Volkswagen Passat that had been pursued by police travelled the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough and crashed into an oncoming police car - two PCs and all five Passat occupants died.
Cleveland Police said it was investigating "serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident".
PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, died in the crash, as did Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and 17-year-old Cole Robert Worthy.
Earlier, Cleveland Police released more details of its investigation into the lead-up to the crash and information about the 12 people it had arrested.
It received several reports of two vehicles "being driven dangerously" on Saturday morning
The first vehicle, believed to be a Volvo XC60, was seen "ramming properties" in the Middlesbrough area
The second vehicle, a Passat, is believed to have been associated with this activity