Wimbledon school crash update: Second girl dies as third victim fights for life

Local residents have been leaving flowers, notes, and toys outside The Study Preparatory school all morning on Friday – one day after a Land Rover crashed into the school, killing an eight-year-old girl.

One note read: “Keeping all the children, parents, teachers, friends, and the local community in our warmest prayers.”

An eight-year-old girl and a woman in her 40s remain in a critical condition in hospital, after a car crashed into a prep school building in Wimbledon, south London, on Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said.

A woman arrested on suspicion of causing the death by dangerous driving of a young girl after a Land Rover crashed through a school fence has been bailed.

A Met statement said: “The driver of the car, a 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

“She was taken to hospital – her condition was assessed as not life-threatening. She has been bailed pending further inquiries to a date in late July.

“Detectives from the Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit are leading the investigation and their inquiries are ongoing. They are expected to remain at the scene throughout the day.

“The investigation remains in its early stages and officers are keeping an open mind whilst following up all lines of inquiry. We ask that people do not speculate about the circumstances while this work is ongoing.”

Detective chief superintendent Clair Kelland, local policing commander for south-west London, said: “It is difficult to imagine the pain and upset the families of those involved are going through and 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.

“This was the largest local policing deployment in south-west London since 2017 and our officers, along with members of the other emergency services, were 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.

“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.”

Members of the Wimbledon Common Golf Club, situated opposite The Study Preparatory School, held a minute’s silence outside the gates of the school on Friday afternoon.

The group, most of whom were wearing the club’s red tops, briefly stood on the road to pay their respects and laid flowers for those caught up in the incident on Thursday.

Speaking afterwards, Peter Thompson, chairman of the golf club, said: “We’re close neighbours, we’ve got close links with The Study.

“When they were doing their refurbishments they used one of our offices. It’s shocked the whole membership.

“It’s just so sad to lose someone so young.”

Mr Thompson said the course and clubhouse had been closed today out of respect.

The Met Police has said a seven-month-old girl is among those being treated for “non-threatening” injuries after a car crashed into an all-girls school in Wimbledon yesterday.

Witnesses had previously described seeing a “crying baby” in an ambulance in the aftermath of the fatal collision at The Study Preparatory school, that left an eight-year-old girl dead.

My colleague Holly Evans reports:

The police on Friday confirmed a woman in her 40s is currently in “life-threatening condition” after a Land Rover crashed into the building of an all-girls prep school in Wimbledon.

According to the Met’s latest statement, all of the injured adults were parents/carers of the children, and not staff members.

An eight-year-old girl is also fighting for her life, after tragedy struck The Study Preparatory school during an end-of-term tea party on Thursday morning.

The Met Police said a total of 35 vehicles were deployed to the scene of the crash, where emergency services treated 16 people. London Ambulance Service chief paramedic Dr John Martin said 12 of them were taken to hospital.

A seven-month-old baby was among those injured in a horrific Wimbledon crash that saw a young girl killed after a Land Rover collided with a primary school.

Two other victims remain in critical condition in hospital, including an eight-year-old girl whose condition is life-threatening.

Witnesses at the scene 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 party at The Study Preparatory School on Thursday.

Holly Evans reports:

An eight-year-old girl and a woman in her 40s are in a critical condition in hospital after a car, whose driver has been bailed, crashed into an end-of-term tea party at a prep school on Thursday.

A second eight-year old girl, who has not been named, died of her injuries following the collision at the Study Preparatory School in Wimbledon, south-west London.

Several other people – including a seven-month-old girl – were also taken to hospital and their conditions have been assessed as not life-threatening, the Metropolitan Police said.

Read the full story: