After an unidentified police car struck the automobile they were riding in, a pregnant mother and her unborn child perished.
Various media outlets, including People, BBC, and The Guardian, covered the incident.
An unidentified police car collided with another car, killing a “heavily pregnant woman” and her unborn child. London police said they are looking at what went wrong.
According to a Metropolitan Police Service press statement, the fatal collision happened Thursday, October 17, just after 6 p.m. in Eltham, on the A20, one of the main thoroughfares heading southeast. The unmarked police car collided into “a member of the public’s car.”
The injuries suffered by the 38-year-old highly pregnant woman and her unborn child caused death.
The cops claimed, “A heavily pregnant woman, aged 38, who was in the car, and her unborn baby sadly died as a result of their injuries.”
About ten miles southeast of London’s city center, Eltham is the site of the crash.
According to Metropolitan Police, ambulances, the London Fire Brigade, and an air ambulance responded to the collision at 18:15 BST, transporting two officers in the unmarked police car to a local hospital.
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Metropolitan Police have informed the dead pregnant woman’s “next of kin,” and “specially trained officers” are assisting the family.
“My heart goes out to the woman’s family and friends who have lost their loved ones in these tragic circumstances,” Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry said in a statement.
“An investigation into the circumstances of this collision is under way by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and we will assist with their inquiries in any way we can.”
Following the crash, two cops in the unmarked car were also transported to the hospital; they have since been released.
Det Ch Supt Lawry stated that the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) had received the event and was currently conducting an inquiry.
The IOPC acknowledged it was looking at the incident and asked for witnesses.
“It is important we establish all of the circumstances surrounding this incident, and our investigation is in its very early stages,” said Mel Palmer, IOPC regional director.
“This is a busy road, and the collision happened in the early evening when people are likely to have been traveling.”
She felt sympathy for the woman’s friends and relatives as well.
The Met verified it was among their own vehicles and not from any bordering force.
The Met posed this question because it was unclear whether the police car was responding to an emergency at the time.
There are now flowers at the crash area.
One of the memorials placed on the road said, “My deepest thoughts are with you, your baby, and your family and friends.”
“The most awful tragedy that should never have happened, and hope your family get some justice. RIP beautiful lady and your baby.”
According to several Eltham residents, the collision site was “one of the most dangerous” in southeast London.
“This is a very dangerous road. I didn’t hear anything, but when I looked out of the window, I saw loads of police cars and emergency service vehicles,” one resident said.
“The police were here for ages, and the road didn’t start to open properly until Friday morning.”
Given the speed at which automobiles move on the highway, neighbors have indicated that the incident was almost “unsurprising.”
“They drive really recklessly, and it’s a very busy road, so I see how it could happen,” one observer said.
News of the tragedy brought another resident to tears, recalling seeing “loads of emergency vehicles” all night long.
Labour MP for Eltham and Chislehurst Clive Efford remarked, “This is a terrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to the family of the victims.”
“The incident is now under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and there are many questions that I will be putting to them, which I hope they will be able to answer in their final report.”
