SHOCK ARREST
Driver, 48, arrested after two girls, 8, killed & others hurt when Land Rover ploughed into Wimbledon school
This is the second time the driver has been arrested since the horror
COPS have arrested a driver after two eight-year-old girls were killed and 15 pupils hurt when a Land Rover ploughed into a primary school.
Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau both died after the tragedy at The Study Prep School, in Wimbledon, South West London on July 6, 2023.
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The horror unfolded as a Land Rover Defender smashed through a fence while school children and staff were having a tea-party outside on the last day of term.
More than fifteen others were injured in the crash, including a seven-month-old baby girl.
London Ambulance Service treated 17 patients after the incident, six patients were discharged at the scene, and 11 patients – including the two girls who sadly died – were taken to hospital.
The Metropolitan Police have now arrested driver Claire Freemantle 48, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
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This is the second time Freemantle has been arrested since the horror, after she was previously arrested at the scene.
She remains in custody while investigations continue.
The 48-year-old was originally released after an initial investigation by the Roads and Transport Policing Command, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), concluded she should face no further action.
Freemantle claimed she had an epileptic seizure behind the wheel and faced no charges.
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But the case was re-opened after the families of Nuria and Selena raised their concerns.
A review was carried out by the Specialist Crime Review Group (SCRG).
It highlighted issues with how officers carried out the initial investigation.
It was revealed there was a key problem with establishing the evidence of an epileptic seizure, and diagnosis without brain scans.
The review has also found there were critical short fallings by the Investigation team in the Road Traffic Collisions Unit.
Officers failed to interview witnesses of the crash straight after it happened.
Following the arrest announcement, the families of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau released a statement which read: "We welcomed the reopening of the investigation in October 2024 by the Metropolitan Police into the death of our beautiful girls and the harm caused to those injured and who witnessed the tragedy on that sunny July day.
"It is important that this investigation runs its course unhindered and that each step taken is done so in the pursuit of truth and the full facts.
"As the investigation continues, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."
A Met Police spokesperson said: "Detectives investigating the fatal collision at the Study Prep School in Wimbledon in July 2023 have arrested the driver as part of their ongoing investigation, as they appeal for further potential witnesses to come forward.
"The 48-year-old female driver was arrested today, Tuesday 28 January, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and is currently in custody.
"This is the second time she has been arrested for this offence, the first time being at the scene of the collision on 6 July 2023."
Detective Superintendent Basford added: “I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to any witnesses or individuals with information who are yet to speak to police to please come forward.
“Were you attending the local golf course or driving in or around the area of the Study Prep School in Wimbledon at the time of the collision? Did you see the vehicle – a distinctive gold Land Rover Defender – in the lead up to the collision?
"We believe there were people in the local area who have not been spoken to by police and remain unidentified. I would ask those individuals to please contact us.
“Our main priority is to ensure the lines of enquiry identified by the review are progressed. This is a live investigation and in order to maintain its integrity I can’t go into further detail at this stage. I would urge people to avoid speculation.”
When the case was re-opened, Nuria's devastated father Saj Butt, said: "No parent should ever have to go through the pain my wife, Smera, and I have experienced over the past 15 months.
"The initial investigation seemed flawed and left so many unanswered questions.
"Now, as we put our lives on-hold again, we can only welcome the news that a new investigation has been launched with a new, specialist and more experienced team.
"While we know nothing will bring Nuria back, we hope this new investigation will finally uncover what really happened on 6 July 2023, and at last allow us, and the hundreds of others affected by what happened, to begin some sort of healing process."
Selena Lau's heartbroken mother, Jessie Deng, added: "All we have ever wanted is a thorough and open investigation for Selena, Nuria and the other families whose lives were turned upside down one summer afternoon, whatever the outcome might be.
"Before the 6th of July 2023 I had always believed the police would be there, for anyone, at their time of need.
"Instead, since that day, we have been left in a strange kind of limbo not knowing why this tragedy occurred.
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"This new investigation is welcome and I sincerely hope that this ongoing nightmare for all of the families and Selena's schoolmates can come to an end soon."
To provide information you can contact the major incident room on 0207 175 0793, call 101 quoting CAD 6528/27Jan, or message @MetCC on X providing the CAD reference. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.
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