An eight-year-old girl and a woman in her forties are fighting for their lives in hospital after a crash at a Wimbledon prep school that killed another pupil.
The horrific smash at The Study Preparatory School on Thursday saw a total of 15 people injured, including a seven-month-old baby, but police said the infant was not thought to be in a critical condition.
A 46-year-old driver of the car, a woman from Wimbledon, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. She was taken to hospital in a non-life-threatening condition and has since been released on bail pending further inquiries.
Witnesses were said to have heard “piercing screams” as the vehicle ploughed through a playground where a group of children had been enjoying an end-of-term tea party in the garden.
Police and emergency services attend the scene and declared it a ‘major incident’— (Getty)
At least two adults were injured, while several children suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The children are understood to be pupils at the school but the injured adults are not teachers.
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In an update released on Friday, Detective Chief Superintendent Clair Kelland, local policing commander for southwest London, said: “It is difficult to imagine the pain and upset the families of those involved are going through. We will do all we can to support them as our investigation continues.
“I know the impact of this tragic incident is also being felt in the wider community and we are working with our partners to ensure the appropriate support is in place.”
“I understand many people will want answers about how this happened and there is a team of detectives working to establish the circumstances. I would ask the community to avoid speculating on a possible cause whilst these enquiries are carried out.”
Emotional parents gathered outside the cordon near the crash scene in Wimbledon— (Getty)
She said the police response was the largest local policing deployment in southwest London since 2017 and emergency services had been met with a “challenging and traumatic scene”.
“I would like to praise them for doing all they could to help those injured. I have no doubt this incident would have also had a significant impact on them, and we will ensure their welfare is looked after,” she added.
Dozens of floral tributes have since been placed at the school gates and pupils gathered to pay their respects to their classmate. One note read: “Keeping all the children, parents, teachers, friends, and the local community in our warmest prayers.”
Aerial pictures of the crash aftermath showed food and tables strewn across the floor around the black and bronze 4x4, which reportedly trapped at least one child underneath it.
DCS Clair Kelland described ‘a challenging and traumatic scene’— (PA)
Emergency services received reports that a car had hit a school building at 9.54am. Dozens of emergency responders attended and it was soon declared a “major incident”. Despite the efforts of the London Ambulance Service and the London Air Ambulance, an eight-year-old girl, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they were keeping an “open mind” about the circumstances that led to the crash, though it is being treated as non-suspicious and terrorism was quickly ruled out of the investigation.
One witness told The Times: “The girls were screaming – it was harrowing. Everyone was rushing, saying a car had just driven into the grounds.”
Returning past the school 20 minutes later, he saw the scale of the emergency response. He added: “There was one little baby that was in the ambulance who was crying uncontrollably.”
Another witness told The Independent he’d been in the adjacent golf club when he was informed a major incident had occurred at the school on Camp Road. Minutes later, the clubhouse became a temporary command area for emergency services, with teachers and pupils appearing “absolutely traumatised”.
Floral tributes at the school gate— (PA)
Distraught parents rushed to the school to collect their children, with a group of mothers holding hands and sharing hugs as one became tearful.
The Land Rover was removed from the site on Thursday night, as inquiries continue.
