Overview
- A member of the public reported a black car in undergrowth at the A172/A19 junction near the Cleveland Tontine, which led officers on Tuesday to find a sole deceased occupant in the vehicle that they believe to be 57-year-old Tracey Smith.
- Tracey Smith was last seen leaving her Stokesley home in a black Fiat Panda registration WR10 ETK on July 24 and police had been urging walkers and other outdoor users to look for the car as a key line of enquiry.
- Formal identification of the body has not yet taken place and police described the finding as subject to forensic examination and confirmation.
- The road was closed to allow investigators to examine the scene and recover the car, with officers warning recovery and forensic work will take time because the vehicle rested down an embankment in dense undergrowth.
- Police thanked the public for responding to appeals, including the person who reported the vehicle, and said they will carry out an inquiry to determine how the car came to leave the road while offering support to Tracey’s family and friends.