Schools to close early for A66 crash funeral

Four Schools Shut Early as Middlesbrough Prepares for Funeral of A66 Crash Victim

Constantvpn.com – Parents across South Bank and surrounding neighbourhoods received notice this week that their children’s schools would end the school day well before the usual dismissal time. The early closures, set for Friday, stem from safety anxieties surrounding the funeral of Jakub Matusiak, a 23-year-old man killed in a devastating head-on collision on the A66 in August. Organisers expect heavy footfall and vehicle congestion around St John’s Church on Normanby Road, prompting local head teachers and Redcar and Cleveland Council to pull the trigger on shortened timetables.

The Crash That Shook the Community

On 22 August, a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong direction along the dual carriageway near South Bank slammed into a marked police vehicle. The impact proved fatal for everyone aboard both cars. Alongside Matusiak, four other young men lost their lives: Makai Saddington, Theo Rae, Michael Robert Cahill, and Cole Robert Worthy. Two serving officers, PC Matthew Blades, aged 37, and PC Tom Clough, aged 38, were also killed in the collision. In total, seven people died in a single moment of chaos on one of Teesside’s busiest arterial routes.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct later revealed that officers had been pursuing the Passat until roughly ten seconds before impact. The watchdog also indicated the vehicle was believed to be fitted with cloned registration plates, complicating the investigation into how the car ended up driving against traffic on a major highway.

What Schools Are Doing and Why

Four institutions have confirmed they will send pupils home ahead of schedule. South Bank Primary School and Outwood Academy Normanby will close at lunchtime. Archway Academy in Teesville will dismiss students at 11:45 BST, while St Margaret Clitherow’s Catholic Primary School in South Bank will end its day at 12:15.

Tammy Cooper, head teacher at South Bank Primary, explained the decision was driven by the scale of attendance anticipated at the church service. She noted that some pupils might feel “upset or anxious” about the funeral and confirmed the school’s pastoral team would remain available to offer emotional support to those affected.

Mark Robinson, principal of Outwood Academy Normanby, wrote to parents confirming the early finish following consultations between local head teachers and the borough council. His letter framed the move as a precautionary measure rather than a reaction to any specific threat.

The Mackenzie Thorpe Centre, a specialist provision, will be shut for the entire day. Council officials added that certain children with special educational needs and disabilities who reside in South Bank but attend schools elsewhere may be collected earlier than normal.

Police and Traffic Management

Superintendent John Wrintmore of Cleveland Police outlined the expected disruption window, placing peak congestion between 15:00 and 17:00 on Friday. He identified the affected corridors as South Bank, Normanby Road running through Teesville, Ormesby and Marton, and Acklam Road.

“We are working closely with highways departments from the local authority, who are leading on the traffic management for this event, in order to minimise disruption.”

Wrintmore added that standard protocols for large public gatherings would be activated to safeguard attendees and residents alike.

Political Reactions

The closures have not gone without political pushback. Conservative MP Laura Trott published an open letter urging Education Secretary Lucy Powell to intervene and keep the schools operating on their normal timetable. The shadow education secretary weighed in separately, pressing for adequate police presence to protect schools in the vicinity without necessitating a full shutdown.

The Department for Education was approached for comment but had not responded at the time of writing.

A spokesperson for Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council acknowledged the inconvenience early closure might cause parents and carers, thanking families for their cooperation. The council stressed that schools had liaised with transport providers to arrange alternative collection for pupils travelling to and from specialist educational settings.

A Troubled Aftermath

The decision to close schools arrives in the shadow of a community vigil held last week for one of the young men killed. That gathering, staged in Haswell, County Durham, descended into disorder when several cars were set alight. The episode drew sharp criticism from members of parliament and senior police figures, underscoring how raw grief in the area still demands careful management.

For families in South Bank and neighbouring estates, Friday will be a day of competing loyalties: mourning a neighbour’s son while navigating a road network temporarily reconfigured around a funeral procession. The early school dismissals represent an attempt to keep children out of the path of that disruption, even if it means an awkward afternoon for working parents who suddenly find themselves without childcare.