Cars set alight in County Durham at memorial for one who died in A66 wrong-way crash

Shocking footage emerged online showing vehicles being set ablaze during a memorial gathering in County Durham, held in Peterlee on Thursday evening (August 28). The event was organised after Michael Cahill’s mother posted a message on social media asking friends to meet at a field and bring vehicles to mark his memory. Reports say cars were set on fire during a balloon release in Peterlee, in honour of Michael Cahill, 23, one of five men killed in the wrong-way A66 crash. Dramatic images from Haswell showed large black plumes of smoke from the burning vehicles. The collision on Saturday on the A66 near South Bank killed seven people, including Cleveland Police officers PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough. Authorities have arrested two men, aged 23 and 31, on suspicion of murder after a Grangetown house fire.