A tragic incident in South London has resulted in the death of an unborn baby after a vehicle being pursued by police collided with the car carrying the child's parents.
The collision occurred at approximately 23:30 on Saturday, 13 June, on Lewisham Way. Officers had initiated a pursuit after spotting a suspect vehicle displaying cloned number plates and failing to stop. The suspect car then struck another vehicle driven by a man in his 20s, with a heavily pregnant woman in her 20s as a passenger. The couple were the parents of the unborn child. The driver of their car was unharmed.
The woman was rushed to hospital by the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, her baby did not survive. She remains in hospital receiving treatment, and her condition is not considered life-threatening.
The driver of the suspect vehicle, a 29-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, theft of a motor vehicle, failure to stop, and possession of class A drugs. He was also taken to hospital with injuries sustained in the crash, which police describe as neither life-threatening nor life-changing.
An investigation is ongoing, and the crime scene has since been cleared. The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to the death occurring following a police chase.
Detective Inspector Suzanne Quinton, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Our thoughts are with the mother and father involved, and their family following the tragic loss of their child. Our investigation continues. We would ask anyone with information or footage that could help to please come forward.”
Anyone with information or footage is urged to call 101 quoting CAD 8670/13JUN.
