Schools close early again for funeral of teen killed in wrong-way A66 crash

Schools close early again for funeral of teen killed in wrong-way A66 crash Middlesbrough Council said a number of schools would be closing for the funeral of Theo Ray, 17, who died in the A66 crash which killed seven people including two police officers Multiple schools are set to close early today as a funeral takes place for a teenager who died in the A66 crash, which killed seven people including two police officers. Theo Ray, 17, was among five men travelling the wrong way down the A66 in a Volkswagen Passat which collided with a marked Cleveland Police vehicle in the early hours of August 22. PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed in the crash near Middlesborough, with all five men in the Passat also pronounced dead at the scene. Middlesbrough Council said a number of schools had chosen to close on Monday ahead of the teenager's funeral, "based on the possibility of localised traffic disruption leading to delays later in the afternoon". Outwood Academy Acklam said it would send pupils home at 12:15pm, while Green Lane School in Acklam and Acklam Whin Primary School will close at 1:15pm. Newham Bridge Primary School, which said it was closing at 1pm today, told parents in a letter that the decision was made to "ensure safe transit home for all our families", reports the BBC. Outwood Academy Acklam said it would close early "after careful consideration of the potential impact on pupils, staff and families travelling to and from the school". Conservative MP Laura Trott criticised the move, saying schools "should stay open for children to learn". It comes after schools in South Bank also shut early on Friday for the funeral of Jakub Matusiak. The ceremony "passed without issue" and with "very minimal traffic disruption," police said. Theo Rae's funeral is to take place later this afternoon at Teesside Crematorium in Acklam, Middlesbrough. There is expected to be a visible police presence in the area. The devastating head-on collision happened on August 22 at around 03:39am. PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were pronounced dead at the scene. The five occupants of the VW Passat who also died were Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, and 17-year-olds Theo Rae and Cole Robert Worthy. Since the crash, Cleveland Police has arrested 27 people as part of a wider operation against alleged organised crime.