A girl has died after a car crashed into a primary school building in Wimbledon, southwest London, according to police, who arrested the driver of the vehicle.
The London police Scotland Yard had previously stated that the accident was not a terrorism case.
“We can now confirm that a child has sadly died following an incident where a car collided with a building at a Wimbledon school,” police said in a statement. “Our condolences today go out to the girl’s family and friends and everyone affected,” said South West London Police Officer Clair Kelland. “We continue our investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident,” she added.
The driver of the vehicle, a 40-year-old woman, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving that resulted in death. “There were other injuries and we are awaiting information from London Ambulance Services,” police said. An initial assessment revealed that seven children and two adults were injured in the accident. A security cordon has been set up around the school.
Helicopter footage from Sky News shows a damaged Land Rover 4X4 in front of the building wall in the school garden where several tables were set up. The driver, who remained at the scene of the accident until her arrest, hails from this rather affluent area, according to local MP Stephen Hammond. It was, he said, the last day of school.
Police were called just before 10am after reports that a car had rammed into a building at the private girls’ school, Study Prep. Several politicians, including Home Secretary Suella Braverman and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, sent their thoughts to the victims and applauded the actions of the emergency services.