An unmarked police that killed a heavily pregnant woman in a crash was travelling at twice the speed limit, an inquest has heard.
Mariam Ahmed, 38, died after the unmarked Volvo smashed into her car in south-east London causing her vehicle to flip several times.
The police car was overtaking traffic in chase of a rider on a stolen motorcycle and was said to be travelling at 80mph on a 40mph road before the crash on October 17 last year.
Two Metropolitan Police officers are under criminal investigation for potential driving offences, including causing death by dangerous driving. Both are also being investigated for potential gross misconduct.
The inquest into the death of Ms Ahmed, who had been due to give birth within weeks, was opened London inner south coroner’s court and heard how two unmarked police cars with their lights and sirens were in pursuit of the bike before the fatal collision on Eltham Road at about 6.15pm.
Stephanie Smith, the case manager for the Independent Office for Police Conduct, who spoke to the court via a video link, said: ‘Meanwhile, Mrs Ahmed, who was 39 weeks pregnant, was driving westbound on the A210.
‘The police vehicles were travelling in the same direction behind her vehicle. Both moved into the offside carriageway and proceeded to overtake the slow-moving traffic which Mrs Ahmed was part of.’
Ms Smith added that one of the police vehicles successfully overtook Ms Ahmed but the other collided with her car as she made a right turn into the Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre, where she was due to collect her husband and daughter from.
The police car was overtaking traffic in chase of a rider on a stolen motorcycle and was said to be travelling at 80mph on a 40mph road before the fatal crash
The heavily pregnant woman and her unborn baby died after the vehicle they were in was hit by the unmarked Met police car
This map shows where the crash happened at 6.15pm in southeast London on October 17
Paramedics were forced to perform an emergency C-section at the scene in an attempt to save the baby as Ms Ahmed’s legs were trapped in the footwell of the car.
However, the baby had no signs of life and was pronounced at just after 7.30pm. Ms Ahmed was taken to King’s College Hospital and pronounced dead at 9.17pm.
Ms Smith added that data gathered from the vehicle which collided with Ms Ahmed’s car suggests it was travelling at a speed of 80mph and that the speed at the point of impact was 50mph.
A third officer, a passenger in the vehicle involved in the collision, is also being investigated for potential gross misconduct for failing to challenge the driving approach.
The Telegraph has reported that it understands that Ahmed lived in Woolwich with her husband and two young daughters.
Eyewitness described seeing her husband running out of the sports centre shouting ‘that’s my wife’ and ‘she’s pregnant’ following the crash.
He said: ‘The man rushed over and was shouting her name. He was telling police “that’s my wife, that’s my wife” and ran over to her.’
According to her LinkedIn account, she worked as a sales specialist at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, a healthcare company, and previously studied at Sheffield University and received a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree.
Two officers who were in the unmarked car were taken to a major trauma centre following the collision
Firefighters were reportedly forced to cut through the roof of the car in order to access the woman
People lay flowers at the scene near the A20 and Kidbrooke Park Road in Eltham, southeast London
Her neighbour Alan Beacher, 81, told The Telegraph: ‘She seemed like a very good mother. She moved up here and I think her intention was for her children to go to the church school.
‘We spoke to her briefly after she moved in and she was very friendly. I’m horrified and I can’t believe they [police officers] can drive that fast and do that amount of damage. There’s no excuse for that.’
The mother was the second person to be killed on the stretch of road in just a matter of weeks.
On October 1, a woman in her 60s died after she was hit by a motorbike while walking along Kidbrooke Park Road.
Local Charlie Fancy, 25, said told News Shopper that speeding is a common issue in the area.
She said: ‘It’s scary when you’re trying to cross the road, especially with a buggy because it’s just coming off of the [A2] motorway so cars come really fast around the corner.’
Flowers at the scene near the A20 and Kidbrooke Park Road in Eltham, southeast London
One well wisher left this card: ‘My deepest thoughts are with you and your baby, your family and friends’
After the crash, one neighbour said that the junction ‘is one of the most dangerous in south-east London’.
Another said: ‘This is a very dangerous road. I didn’t hear anything but when I looked out of the window I saw loads of police cars and emergency service vehicles.’
One resident living near the scene of the collision suggested the incident was ‘unsurprising’ given the speed of drivers.
They said: ‘They drive really recklessly and it’s a very busy road, so I see how it could happen. It’s very sad.’
