Wimbledon primary school crash victims' parents 'unsatisfied with investigation'

The parents of two eight-year-old girls who were killed when a 4×4 ploughed into their school in Wimbledon last year said they “remain unconvinced that the investigation has been conducted thoroughly”.

The driver of the car that crashed into a school will face no criminal charges after it was found she had suffered an epileptic seizure behind the wheel.

Nuria Sajjad and fellow eight-year-old pupil Selena Lau died after the crash at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon on July 6 last year.

The 4×4 crashed through a fence and hit a building. A 46-year-old was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after the incident, which injured a total of 16 people.

The school had been celebrating the last day of the summer term when the tragedy unfolded.

Nuria and Selena’s families had previously expressed frustration at how long the investigation into the crash was taking, exacerbated by a lack of specialist forensic collision investigators.

In a statement to the PA news agency, Sajjad Butt, Smera Chohan, Franky Lau and Jessie Deng said: “All the victims of the events of July 6 2023 did nothing wrong. We were all in the safest place we could have been outside our own homes. We were celebrating a day filled with joy.

“Nuria and Selena’s lives were taken in a moment. So many lives were also irreparably shattered in that moment. Hundreds of people – parents, teachers, children, neighbours, friends and family members – will never lead ‘normal’ lives again. Some of us will never experience joy again.

“We have tried to keep faith in the systems and institutions that are supposed to protect victims and deliver justice to those affected. We have been disappointed by this system. We have already expressed, publicly, our dissatisfaction with the pace of the investigative process.

“It is now clear to us that the depth of the process is questionable too. In the absence of any concrete evidence to the contrary, we can only surmise that the investigation has been equally poor.

“There are questions that remain unanswered. We are not assured that all doubt has been removed in reaching the conclusion the Crown Prosecution Service have reached. As long as these doubts remain, we remain unconvinced that a fair and thorough investigation was conducted.

“We continue to live with horrific memories, some of us will never physically recover from our injuries, and the pain of our loss will never subside. And yet, it is suggested that we must continue to live with the claim that the person solely responsible for the deaths of two and the maiming of others bears no consequence for the actions that they solely are responsible, without providing us with sufficient evidence that no criminal act was conducted.

“We remain unconvinced that the investigation has been conducted thoroughly. We remain unconvinced that the Crown Prosecution Service have reached a decision based on all the facts. Justice has neither been done, nor has been seen to be done today.

“Nuria and Selena deserved better.”

Metropolitan Detective Chief Superintendent Clair Kelland said that having examined her medical records, the driver could not have predicted or prevented the seizure.

She said: “I can understand that some may be confused – perhaps even feel let down – by this outcome and want to give every reassurance that our officers worked tirelessly through every detail of the incident to ensure a complete investigation be passed to the CPS.

“To bring charges in cases like this there needs to be an element of responsibility on the part of the driver, and, given the circumstances, this was simply not borne out on this occasion.”

The driver of the car, Claire Freemantle, has expressed her “deepest sorrow” and said she had “no recollection of what took place” after losing consciousness because of an epileptic seizure at the wheel.

In a statement to the PA news agency, she said: “Since I became aware of the terrible event that took place on July 6, the devastating consequences for all those affected have not left my thoughts and will be with me for the rest of my life.

“I have since been diagnosed as having suffered an epileptic seizure with loss of consciousness. This was not a pre-existing condition. As a result of losing consciousness I have no recollection of what took place.

“I can only express my deepest sorrow for the families who have suffered such dreadful loss and injury.

“As a mother, I understand there can be no words that adequately express the pain and loss resulting from what happened in those horrendous moments while I was unconscious.

“My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all of the children and families affected, and especially to the parents of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau.”

Mark Jones, partner at Payne Hicks Beach and Claire Freemantle’s solicitor, told the PA news agency: “This is one of the most tragic cases I have dealt with. Our hearts go out to the families involved who have suffered unutterable loss and dreadful injury.

“The Metropolitan Police and the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions), after the most thorough investigation, have decided not to prosecute Claire.

“Although she was at the wheel when this shocking accident happened, she was in no sense in control of the vehicle. This incident was through absolutely no fault of her own.

“Tragically, Claire suffered a complete loss of consciousness moments before the incident. This has now been diagnosed as epilepsy; a condition which Claire was completely unaware of before July 6 2023.

“She was unconscious when the car mounted the pavement and crashed into the school playground with such tragic consequences. Claire has no recollection of what took place.”

“This condition had never previously manifested itself and Claire had always enjoyed good health.

“The medical examinations following the crash are authoritative, with different specialists unanimous in their diagnosis. The medical evidence is entirely consistent with eyewitness and video evidence of the crash itself.

“All the evidence shows that the vehicle never changed course or slowed down after it had veered off the road and mounted the pavement.

“A complete forensic post-crash examination of the vehicle showed that consistent pressure was applied to the accelerator from the moment the car left the junction with Camps View and until it came to rest. It also showed that the vehicle was in all ways roadworthy and safe.

“Again, we can only express our deepest and most heartfelt sympathy for those who have suffered through this tragedy. We will be making no further comment.”