26 June 2024 , 19:24
420
0
The driver of a 4×4 that ploughed into a school in Wimbledon, south west London, in July last year, killing two eight-year-old girls, will face no criminal charges.
The Land Rover driver suffered an epileptic seizure at the wheel, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
The driver of the car has expressed her ‘deepest sorrow’ and said she has ‘no recollection of what took place’.
The collision happened at The Study Preparatory School in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6 last year.
Pupils at the all girls school were in for their last day of term when the vehicle careered through the grounds and hit a wall.
Selena Lau and Nuria Sajjad both died from injuries sustained in the crash, with 16 others injured in the chaos.
Trevor Sterling, lawyer for the families, told Metro.co.uk: ‘The families are devastated, but not because of the decision itself but because they have not been sufficiently reassured by being able to see the evidence.
He continued: ‘This is disappointing; justice must not only be done, but seen to be done.
Pupils left tributes for their friends after the tragedy (Picture: Getty)
Selena Lau was struck by the vehicle (Picture: Met Police)
Nuria Sajjad died from her injuries days later in hospital (Picture: Met Police)
‘In the absence of a process, how do we interrogate the evidence? What does this message send to the public that deaths can arise in a road traffic situation, and there could be no sanction because there is no process to interrogate the evidence?
‘The next focus will be on the inquest, and there will be a deep and thorough review of the evidence, which will be examined by a jury if necessary.’
Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor with oversight of the Crown Prosecution Service London Homicide Unit, said: ‘We have carefully considered this complex and sensitive case, taking into consideration all the material gathered as part of the lengthy and detailed police investigation.
‘Because there is nothing to suggest the driver could have done anything to predict or prevent this tragedy, it is not in the public interest to pursue a criminal prosecution.
‘In reaching this decision we have considered the driver’s full medical records, obtained by police, and received evidence from neurological specialists, who agreed that the driver had a seizure and that this was the first such medical episode she had experienced.
‘Throughout this process we have met with the bereaved families on several occasions, to ensure they are kept informed of the case progress and to fully explain the decision we have made. Our thoughts remain with them today, as well as with the other injured victims and the wider school community upon whom this tragic incident has had a profound impact.’
Mr Sterling continued: ‘The issue is they [CPS] cannot prove culpability, and the operative word is prove. Without seeing the evidence it’s difficult to know whether that’s correct.
‘We will have to wait for the inquest, only then we can interrogate the evidence.
‘If you ask a driver how were things moments before the incident, and they say they can’t recall, then you have no evidence.’
A woman, aged in her 40s, is understood to have been behind the wheel of the 4×4 when the crash happened.
The school, which costs £5,565 per term, is for girls aged four to 11 and sits on Wimbledon Common, just a mile away from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club as it hosts the world-famous tennis tournament.
The celebration held on July 6 last year had been ‘eagerly anticipated’, the private school said in a statement on its website.
‘A happy occasion with parents, pupils and staff gathering in the sunshine at Wilberforce House to mark the end of the summer term,’ the statement said.
‘It suddenly turned to tragedy and the pain now being felt by the girls’ bereaved families is unimaginable.’
In a statement at the time, Selena’s family described her as ‘an intelligent and cheeky girl adored and loved by everyone’.
For Nuria’s loved ones, she was the ‘light of our lives’ who ’embodied joy, kindness and generosity and she was loved by all around her’.