Claire Freemantle, the driver of a 4x4 that crashed into a Wimbledon primary school, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after two eight-year-old girls were killed. The 49-year-old faces two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the incident at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon in July 2023. Schoolgirls Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau died in the crash as the school celebrated the last day of the summer term.
Freemantle’s lawyers have stated she will plead not guilty to the charges when she appears at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 16. The charges come after the girls’ families criticized the Metropolitan Police for its investigation into the crash. In June 2024, the force had said the driver suffered an epileptic seizure and would face no criminal charges.
Police Investigation and Apology
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is currently investigating officers for alleged racism in their handling of the case of the deaths of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau. Freemantle, of Edge Hill, Wimbledon, was rearrested and released under investigation in January last year. Her lawyers said there are “serious questions to be answered” over why the decision not to charge her was reversed.
The Metropolitan Police apologized for the way it initially dealt with the incident and the “impact on those affected,” adding that it will be “fundamentally resetting how the Met investigates fatal and serious collisions.” In a statement, Commander Charmain Brenyah, who leads the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “This will ensure our responses to incidents of this nature are more effective, providing better support and outcomes for victims and their families.”
Ongoing Investigations
The watchdog previously said it was probing allegations that officers provided “false and misleading information” to the families following complaints about the standard of the investigation. Four serving officers, including a commander and a detective chief inspector, are being investigated for gross misconduct. The case continues to draw attention to police handling of fatal collisions and the need for accountability.
