12 arrested in UK over vehicle crash that killed 7, including 2 police officers

9 men and 3 women arrested on suspicion of offenses ranging from firearm possession to taking part in activities of organized crime group, say police

Twelve suspects have been arrested in connection with a weekend vehicle crash in northeastern England that killed seven people, including two police officers, police said Monday. In a statement, Cleveland Police said that 12 people across Teesside have been arrested as part of the criminal investigation launched into Saturday's deadly crash near Middlesbrough. "Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61 have been arrested on suspicion of several offences,” ranging from firearm possession to participating in the activities of an organized crime group, it said. The crash occurred on the major road A66 in South Bank at around 3.39 am local time (0239GMT) when a Volkswagen Passat traveling the wrong way collided with a marked police vehicle. Two police officers were killed in the collision while the people in the other vehicle were also killed. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation, saying it understood officers had sighted a “suspicious vehicle” and a pursuit had begun. The first vehicle, which is believed to be a Volvo XC60, was witnessed to be ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area, while the second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, is believed to have been associated with the activities of the first, said the police. The statement said both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates to avoid detection but were picked up by police’s automated number plate recognition technology. The Volvo XC60 involved in the initial reports has been traced and recovered in Middlesbrough as part of the investigation, it added.