Schools to close early for A66 crash funeral - BBC News BBC Homepage Skip to content Accessibility Help Your account Home News Sport Earth Reel Worklife Travel Culture Future Music TV Weather Sounds More menu More menu Search BBC Home News Sport Earth Reel Worklife Travel Culture Future Music TV Weather Sounds Close menu BBC News Menu Home Climate World UK Business Tech Science Entertainment & Arts Health In Pictures More BBC Verify Newsbeat England Regions Tees Schools to close early for A66 crash funeral Image source, Social media Image caption, Jakub Matusiak (left) was one of five young men killed in the collision, along with Makai Saddington, Theo Rae, Michael Robert Cahill and Cole Robert Worthy By Caroline Briggs North East and Cumbria Published 3 September 2026 Four schools have said they will close early on Friday amid safety concerns over a funeral linked to a crash which killed seven people. It is understood the funeral of Jakub Matusiak, 23, one of five young men killed in the head-on collision with a marked police car on the A66, is due to take place in Middlesbrough. The crash happened near South Bank on 22 August when a Volkswagen Passat travelled the wrong way on the dual carriageway and hit a police car. Two police officers in the vehicle, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were also killed. Head teachers warned parents large crowds were expected to gather in the South Bank area for the funeral, with traffic disruption likely. Large numbers expected The decision to close the schools was taken following discussions between local head teachers and Redcar and Cleveland Council. In an open letter, Conservative MP Laura Trott called on Education Secretary Lucy Powell to ensure the schools remain open. The shadow education secretary also called for sufficient police support to be provided to keep schools in the area safe. The Department of Education (DfE) has been contacted by the BBC for a response. Image source, Cleveland Police Image caption