Officers face criminal investigation after pregnant woman and baby killed by police car
Two Metropolitan Police officers are facing a criminal investigation after a pregnant woman and her baby were killed in a collision with an unmarked police car. The woman's car was struck by the police vehicle in Eltham, southeast London[1], on 17 October. Two unmarked police vehicles had been responding to an unrelated incident when the crash happened.
Image: People lay flowers at the scene. Pic: PA
Image: Pic: PABoth vehicles had emergency equipment activated, the force said.
The 38-year-old woman, whose pregnancy was full-term, and her unborn child, died at the scene following the crash on the A20 near the junction with Kidbrooke Park Road. One officer was at the wheel of the vehicle that crashed into the pregnant woman's car, and the other was driving a second unmarked police car. Both officers have been placed under criminal investigation for potential driving offences, including causing death by dangerous driving, the Met said.
They are also being investigated for potential gross misconduct. A third officer, a passenger in the vehicle involved in the collision, is being investigated for potential misconduct. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said in a statement detectives are reviewing police dashcam footage, local CCTV, police logs, and witness statements, as well as obtaining a report from a forensic collision investigation.
The woman has been formally identified, but has not been named in line with her family's wishes, the IOPC said. IOPC regional director Melanie Palmer called the deaths "tragic" and asked that the woman's family's request for privacy be respected. Ms Palmer said: "This was a devastating incident on a busy road and our investigators are working hard to establish all of the circumstances leading up to the collision and the actions of the officers involved.
"At the end of our investigation we will decide whether to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider possible criminal charges and also decide whether any officers should face disciplinary proceedings."
References
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