Two Met officers under investigation over crash that killed pregnant woman

Two Metropolitan Police officers are under investigation for allegedly causing death by dangerous driving after a heavily pregnant woman and her unborn baby died in a crash with an unmarked police vehicle.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the 38-year-old woman, who was in the full term of her pregnancy, was killed in the collision in south-east London on October 17.

The police watchdog said two unmarked police cars were traveling in the Eltham area at around 6.15pm and were responding to an unrelated incident before one of the cars crashed into the car driven by the woman on the A20 near the A20 junction. Kidbrooke Park Road.

The IOPC said that based on preliminary data, lights and sirens were activated in both police vehicles.

In a statement, the monitor said the officer driving the police vehicle involved in the collision and the officer driving the other police vehicle were informed that they were under criminal investigation for possible driving offenses, including causing death by dangerous driving.

The watchdog added that two officers driving the police cars were also being investigated for possible gross misconduct, while a third officer (a passenger in the vehicle involved in the collision) was being investigated for potential misconduct.

IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said: “The deaths of the woman and her baby are tragic and our thoughts are with her family, friends and everyone affected.

“We have met with the woman’s family to explain our role and will provide them with regular updates as our investigation progresses.

“The woman’s family has asked for their privacy to be respected at this time.

“This was a devastating incident on a busy road and our investigators are working hard to establish the full circumstances leading up to the collision and the actions of the officers involved.

“At the end of our investigation, we will decide whether to refer a dossier of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider possible criminal charges, as well as whether any officers will face disciplinary action.”