Second girl, 8, dies after crash at Wimbledon prep school as family pay tribute to ‘light of our lives’
‘Nuria was the light of our lives. She embodied joy, kindness and generosity,’ family say
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Your support makes all the difference.A second eight-year-old girl has died just days after a Land Rover crashed through a primary school fence in Wimbledon and into a tea party.
Nuria Sajjad was left fighting for life in hospital after the crash at The Study prep school on Thursday, which unfolded shortly before 10am as pupils celebrated the last day of term.
The Metropolitan Police has now confirmed that eight-year-old Nuria died of her injuries at St George’s Hospital on Sunday.
The schoolgirl was killed alongside eight-year-old classmate Selena Lau, who died from her injuries on Thursday. A woman in her forties remains in hospital in a serious condition.
Nuria’s family have paid tribute to the “beloved” eight-year-old, saying she was the “light of our lives”.
They said: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Nuria on Sunday.
“Nuria was the light of our lives. She embodied joy, kindness and generosity and she was loved by all around her.
“We would like to thank the efforts of the emergency services, all the extraordinary staff at St George’s Hospital, the parents of Nuria’s class fellows and staff of the Study Prep for all they have done to ease Nuria’s journey.
“We request that our privacy is respected at this difficult time.”
On Friday, Selena’s family said she was “adored and loved by everyone”, while community members called her their “shining star”.
Releasing a picture of her beaming in her school uniform, the family said: “Selena was an intelligent and cheeky girl adored and loved by everyone. The family wishes their privacy to be respected at this sad time.”
A number of other people, including a seven-month-old girl, were injured and taken to hospital after the crash in Camp Road. Their injuries were later deemed to be non-life threatening.
The driver of the car, a woman from Wimbledon, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
She has been bailed to a date in late July pending further inquiries.
The school – for girls aged four to 11 – said in a statement that it was “profoundly shocked” by what happened.
Thomas Barlow, councillor for Wimbledon Village, said at the scene of the crash on Saturday: “Everyone’s in complete shock that something like this could happen… and the fact that this happened on the last day of term which was clearly a happy day at school is horrendous.
“The whole village is in shock, a lot of the people had connections to this school.”
Locals continued to pay their respects at the scene of the crash this weekend. One parent with a young child said: “Everyone’s affected by it, everyone is questioning how it could’ve happened, I’m just feeling really sorry for the families of those affected and the kids who survived.
“It’s a quiet road, I’m wondering how can a car build up such speed in a short space of time, it’s crazy.”
Dozens of flowers and tributes have been left at the school, with one note left saying: “Dear Selena, you will always be our shining star. We will miss you so much."
Local policing commander for southwest London DCS Clair Kelland 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.
“I understand many people will want answers about how this happened and there is a team of detectives working to establish the circumstances.”