A relative of one of the five people killed in the wrong-way crash on the A66 has said that if the police pursuit had been "called off earlier lives might have been saved."
The five were travelling in a Volkswagen Passat when they collided with a police vehicle, causing seven deaths, including two police officers.
Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak were pronounced dead at the scene near Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday (August 22).
Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, lost their lives when the Volkswagen was driven the wrong way along a dual carriageway and struck their marked armed response vehicle.
Jacob Matusiak's cousin told Sky News that the family "want answers" about the incident and have asked police to provide the "full picture", reports the Daily Star.
They said: "We are just devastated for everyone involved. If he was at fault, he was at fault, but they need to give us the full picture.
"He was no saint and has been involved in stuff before – we know that – but we cannot believe this has happened.
"We all want answers – we were told the chase should have been called off earlier. If it had been called off earlier lives might have been saved."
Tributes for the five young men have also been posted on social media, with many friends saying they "can't believe it" and were "heartbroken" and "lost for words". Balloon releases have been announced in tribute to the five, with one taking place last night and further ceremonies planned on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at various locations, including South Bank.
One message, dedicated to all five, read: "We all knew use and knew use had hearts of gold and most loyalist lads."
A card and flowers placed alongside the A66, near the crash site, read: "To my Coley, I love you so much. I'm so grateful for the time we got to spend together.
"I just cannot believe I will never see you again. I hope wherever you are it is everything you have ever dreamed of. I will never ever forget you. You would of done anything for anyone."
The Passat the group were travelling in was identified and an armed response vehicle gave chase for just under seven minutes before the car turned on to the A66 in South Bank against oncoming traffic. Officers abandoned the pursuit and continued along the correct side of the carriageway. The Passat collided with Pc Blades and Pc Clough's vehicle approximately 10 seconds after the chase was called off.
Police confirmed there was no evidence to suggest that filming of events during Friday night and Saturday morning was "for the purposes of TikTok".
Family Claims A66 Pursuit Should Have Been Called Off Sooner