Police warn of rising wrong-way driving incidents on Teesside roads

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 16:02 · Archive

Cleveland Police have warned drivers after three incidents of vehicles being driven the wrong way on major Teesside roads in recent days.

Cleveland Police have warned of a series of wrong-way driving incidents on major Teesside roads in recent days, with officers saying they will use the 'full force of the law' against those involved. Three separate incidents of vehicles driving contraflow on the A66 and A19 were reported over one week.

A 16-year-old appeared at Teesside Magistrates' Court on 15 October after a Renault Megane made off from police at around 12.20am on 14 October. Footage showed the car colliding with street furniture before driving the wrong way on the A66. The teenager pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, no insurance and disqualified driving and will be sentenced in November. A second 16-year-old boy arrested in connection with the same incident was bailed on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

In a separate incident on 12 October at around midnight, a vehicle made off from officers in Middlesbrough before heading contraflow on the A66. Enquiries are ongoing. Chief Superintendent Paul Richardson said the behaviour put 'people at immediate, serious risk of harm or even death'. The warnings come less than two months after seven people, including officers PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, died in a head-on collision on the A66 when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way struck a police car.

How it is being reported

• Rise in wrong way driving incidents on Teesside roads following A66 horror crashCleveland Police warn dangerous drivers face the full force of the law after three wrong-way incidents were reported on the A66 and A19 last week.Darlington & Stockton Times · 20 Oct, 16:19
• Three cars in four days seen going wrong way down A66 and A19 as boy, 16, admits danger drivingCleveland Police are warning drivers that the 'full force of the law will be used' after a series of incidents of dangerous driving in TeessideTeessideLive · 20 Oct, 14:57
• Rise in wrong way driving incidents on Teesside roads following A66 horror crashCleveland Police warn dangerous drivers face the full force of the law after three wrong-way incidents were reported on the A66 and A19 last week.The Northern Echo · 20 Oct, 14:39

In this story: Cleveland Police · PC Matthew Blades · PC Tom Clough · A66 · A19 · Teesside

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