A 38-year-old pregnant woman was turning into a leisure center to meet her husband and her other child on Thursday, October 17. At around 6:15 p.m., an unmarked Metropolitan Police car violently crashed into the woman's vehicle, killing the woman and her unborn child while her husband rushed to the scene, horrified.
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The tragedy took place in the Etham District in London, England, with several bystanders becoming witnesses of the fatal crash. One of them, Abu Bakr, talked with The Mirror and detailed the crash that he witnessed after finishing some housework opposite of where the crash took place.
"The police cars were racing down the road towards the petrol station," said Bakr. "I'd estimate they were doing between 70mph and 90mph. My van shook. They didn't brake at all - they were just hoping she managed to turn in time before they hit her."
He continued:" The police cars were on the wrong side of the road. The woman's car flipped three times. One of its wheels came off. It was shocking. I've never seen anything like that in my life."
A Tragedy
Bakr mentions how, following the crash, the woman's husband ran out of the center after hearing the bang. He was carrying their other child in his arms. He screamed her name and later held her hand, reassuring her in her last moments. Reportedly, the pregnant woman was due next week.
She succumbed to her fatal injuries and while emergency services attempted to perform a c-section to save the unborn child, the child also died. The officers in the unmarked vehicle were transported to a hospital and later discharged.
Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry wrote a message in a Metropolitan Police statement following the tragic crash. "My heart goes out to the woman's family and friends who have lost their loved ones in these tragic circumstances," said Lawry. "An investigation into the circumstances of this collision is under way by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and we will assist with their enquiries in any way we can."
The crash site later became a place where people laid flowers, candles, and messages for the woman and her unborn child, paying tribute to their memory.
