Multiple deaths in collision involving UK police vehicle

Multiple people have died after a crash involving a police vehicle in the UK in the early hours of this morning.

The collision took place on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, at about 3.39am.

There is significant emergency response at the scene, Cleveland Police said.

A spokesperson for North East Ambulance Service said: "We were called to a serious road traffic incident involving three vehicles on the A66 at South Bank at 3.39am on August 22.

"We sent 14 ambulance resources at the scene, including emergency ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, our hazardous area response team and a doctor from Great North Air Ambulance Service.

"Sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone attending, a number of patients died at the scene."

A Cleveland Police spokesperson said: "Around 3.39am this morning, a collision took place involving a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat on the A66 in South Bank.

"Sadly, the collision has resulted in multiple fatalities. There are significant emergency vehicles on the scene and the road will remain closed for some time.

"We are working to identify the victims and contact their families. This is a quickly-evolving incident and we ask that members of the public respectfully avoid speculation."