Driver in fatal school crash had epileptic seizure and will not be prosecuted – CPS
A woman who crashed her Land Rover into a preparatory school and killed two eight-year-old girls will not be charged after it was found she had an epileptic seizure at the wheel.
Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both eight, were killed when a Land Rover Defender crashed through the fence of the Study prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London, last July. The school was holding an end-ofyear tea party at the time.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Claire Freemantle, the 47-year-old driver, had had no prior diagnosis of a medical condition and had not had a seizure before.
Jaswant Narwal, a prosecutor with the CPS, said: “We have carefully considered this complex case, taking into consideration all the material gathered as part of the lengthy and detailed police investigation.
“The driver of the vehicle had an epileptic seizure behind the wheel, which caused her to lose control of the vehicle which then drove into the school. There is no evidence the driver had ever suffered a similar seizure before and she had no previously diagnosed medical condition.
“Because there is nothing to suggest the driver could have done anything to predict or prevent this tragedy, it is not in the public interest to pursue a criminal prosecution.”
In a joint statement, the parents of Nuria, Sajjad Butt and Smera Chohan, and Selena, Franky Lau and Jessie Deng, said they were “unconvinced” that the police had investigated thoroughly. They said: “All the victims of the events of 6 July 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. Some of us will never experience joy again.
“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 … Nuria and Selena deserved better.”
Trevor Sterling, the lawyer representing 20 of the families affected, called the CPS’s decision “disappointing”. He said: “What does this message send to the public, that deaths can arise in a road traffic situation and there could be no sanction because there is no process to interrogate the evidence?
“The next focus will be on the inquest, and there will be a deep and thorough review of the evidence, which will be examined by a jury if necessary,” said Sterling.
In a statement, Freemantle expressed her “deepest sorrow” and said she had “no recollection of what took place” after losing consciousness.
“As a mother, I understand there can be no words that adequately express the pain and loss resulting from what happened while I was unconscious,” she said. “My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all of the children and families affected, and especially to the parents of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau.”
DCS Clair Kelland, in charge of policing for south-west London, said: “Significant inquiries established that the driver suffered a previously undiagnosed seizure. Having carried out a detailed examination of her medical records, we know that she couldn’t have predicted or prevented the incident.”
After the crash, 16 people were treated at the scene and 10 were taken to hospital.