On the morning of Saturday 22 August, Cleveland Police received several reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously.
The first vehicle, which is believed to be a Volvo XC60, was witnessed ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area.
The second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, is believed to have been associated with the activities of the Volvo XC60.
Both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates to avoid detection but were picked up by the Force’s automated number plate recognition technology.
The Volvo XC60 involved in the initial reports has been traced and recovered in Middlesbrough as part of the criminal investigation.
Throughout the course of the weekend, Cleveland Police, supported by officers and staff from Durham, Northumbria and North Yorkshire Police, have worked tirelessly to establish the circumstances which led to the fatal collision.
Those enquiries have resulted in the arrests of 12 people across Teesside.
Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, have been arrested on suspicion of several offences ranging from possession of a firearm to participating in the activities of an organised crime group.
At the current time, there is no evidence to indicate that filming of the activities that took place on Friday night and Saturday morning has taken place for the purposes of TikTok.
Four of the occupants of the Passat had previous police convictions.
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, responsible for the strategic leadership of the investigation, said: “This has been a fast-moving and complex investigation, with significant links to serious and organised criminal activity.
“The events of that tragic night will have a lasting and profound impact on the Cleveland area and the communities we seek to protect.
“We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident, and to bring all those responsible to justice.
“Our robust response will continue in the weeks and months to come, as we continue to tackle those that seek to cause harm to our communities and tackle serious and organised crime.’
