Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Five teenagers and two police officers were killed in Britain after the squad car was struck by a car going the wrong way Saturday.
A Volkswagen Passat with five male teenagers had been traveling in the wrong direction on A66 near Middlesbrough around 3:30 a.m. local time when it collided with the marked police vehicle, the BBC reported.
A 14-unit team of first responders rushed to the scene, where they confirmed all seven people were dead.
The five teenagers, all in their late teens, have not been identified.
The officers were identified as constables Matthew Blades, 37, and Tom Clough, 38, the Guardian reported.
Chief Constable Victoria Fuller, of Cleveland police, said they were "brave officers protecting our communities and serving our residents who didn't return home to their families at the end of their shift."
"The loss has been felt across our communities, by our police family and by our partner agencies," she told the Guardian.
U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a statement he was "devastated to hear that two police officers have lost their lives while on duty in Cleveland this morning, as well as five members of the public."
"My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of everyone involved, and with everyone at Cleveland police," he said in a statement on X. "Thank you to the emergency services responding in incredibly difficult circumstances."
"I would urge people to avoid speculation at this time," the prime minister added.