Schools Shut Early as Crowds and Off-Road Riders Swarm Middlesbrough for A66 Crash Victim’s Funeral — and It’s Nothing Like the Police Officers’ Memorial
Schools across Middlesbrough are closing early on Friday as authorities prepare for large crowds expected to gather for the funeral of one of five young men killed in a catastrophic crash on the A66.
The service, for 23-year-old Jakub Matusiak (also known as Jacob), takes place at St John the Evangelist Church on Normanby Road in South Bank. Local headteachers and the council agreed to the early closures after warnings of significant traffic disruption, congestion, and potential safety risks for pupils. South Bank Primary School will finish at midday to protect students’ wellbeing. Outwood Academy Normanby is also shutting from noon. Other nearby schools, including Archway Academy in Teesville, St Margaret Clitherow’s Catholic Primary, and St Peter’s, are following similar schedules, with one specialist centre closed for the entire day.
Officials anticipate not only large numbers of mourners but also groups arriving on motorbikes and off-road vehicles, raising concerns about crowd control and road safety in the immediate area. Parents have been advised to collect children from usual points once schools finish, and pastoral support is being made available for any pupils feeling anxious about the local funeral.
The crash that claimed Matusiak’s life occurred in the early hours of 22 August on the A66 near South Bank. A Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way along the dual carriageway collided head-on with a marked police armed response vehicle. All five young men in the Passat — Matusiak, 23; Cole Worthy, 17; Theo Rae, 17; Makai Saddington, 18; and Michael Cahill, 23 — were pronounced dead at the scene. The two police officers in the other vehicle, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, also died.
This funeral marks the first for one of the young men involved and stands in clear contrast to the formal tributes and memorials held for the two officers. While the police deaths prompted widespread public mourning, official silences, fundraising that raised over a million pounds, and community gestures from football clubs and beyond, the gatherings linked to the civilian victims have drawn different attention. A recent vigil for another of the young men sparked criticism after disorder, including vehicles being set alight.
Local leaders stress that the early school closures are a practical response to expected disruption rather than a judgment on the tragedy itself. The priority remains keeping children safe and minimising chaos on the roads around the church. Redcar and Cleveland Council confirmed the decision followed discussions between headteachers and the local authority specifically because of anticipated congestion tied to the funeral.
The A66 collision has left seven families grieving and a community searching for answers. Inquests have opened, confirming the officers and the five young men died from catastrophic injuries in the impact. The Passat had been linked to an aborted police pursuit after cloned plates triggered cameras; the officers who died were not part of the chase but were in the area assisting.
As Friday approaches, residents near Normanby Road face temporary upheaval. Schools will prioritise pupil safety, traffic is expected to build, and crowds — including those on off-road vehicles — are predicted to converge. The day will test how a town continues to process a disaster that claimed both serving officers and young lives in a single, devastating moment on a dual carriageway.
The contrast remains stark: one set of funerals carried the formal weight of public service and institutional mourning; this one arrives amid practical fears of overcrowding and disruption. For the families of all seven victims, the pain is the same. For the schools and streets of South Bank, Friday is simply a day that must be managed carefully.
