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  MIDDLESBROUGH: Seven people, including two police officers, have died in a serious road crash during a police pursuit involving a “suspicious” vehicle travelling in the wrong direction on a dual carriageway in northeastern England. The collision occurred at around 3:39am BST on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough in Teesside. Cleveland Police said the crash involved a marked police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat. According to police, the marked police car had been travelling in the correct direction on the road when the collision occurred. Emergency services rushed to the scene, but all occupants of both vehicles were pronounced dead at the location. Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller expressed her condolences to the victims and their families, saying that no one should leave their home without being able to return safely, including police officers who serve and protect their communities. The force said the families of those identified had been informed and were being offered specialist support. Fuller described the incident as a tragedy that would have a profound impact on communities across Cleveland and the wider policing family. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the police watchdog, has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash. The watchdog said that, based on information available at the early stage of the inquiry, Cleveland Police had spotted a suspicious vehicle and a pursuit subsequently began. Investigators will examine the circumstances leading up to the pursuit, including why the vehicle was considered suspicious, how the pursuit developed and what happened immediately before the fatal collision. The A66 is one of the main roads running through the Teesside region. The area surrounding the crash site includes a number of industrial buildings and factories. Following the incident, the road was closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane. Police said the closure was expected to remain in place for the rest of the day while emergency crews and investigators worked at the scene. Police vehicles and officers could be seen along the road as a major emergency response continued. Motorists were advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes. The North East Ambulance Service said it deployed 14 ambulance resources as part of the major emergency response. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, several patients died at the scene. The ambulance service expressed its condolences to everyone affected by the tragedy and thanked those who worked through the night in response to the crash. Cleveland Police said a significant number of emergency service vehicles remained at the scene and urged members of the public not to speculate about the circumstances while the investigation was still developing. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the incident as “devastating” and expressed her support for Cleveland Police as officers worked to identify everyone involved. She paid tribute to police officers who put their safety at risk every day to protect the public and offered her condolences to the victims’ families, friends, emergency responders and the wider police community. Local MP Anna Turley also expressed deep sadness over the deaths. She extended her sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives and thanked emergency services personnel who worked throughout the night. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities expected to examine forensic evidence, witness accounts and other information to establish the exact sequence iof events that led to the fatal crash.