Tributes have poured in for the two eight-year-old girls who lost their lives after a car crashed into a Wimbledon school.
Selena Lau and Nuria Sajjad - both eight-years-old- died after a Land Rover crashed into an end-of-term tea party at Study Prep School in Camp Road.
Police were called at 9.54am on Thursday (July 6) to the school where a number of people had been hurt – with eight-year-old Selena Lau dying that day.
The second girl who died on Sunday (July 9) has been named as eight-year-old Nuria Sajjad.
The family of Nuria Sajjad has paid tribute to the “kind and generous” eight-year-old.
They said: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Nuria on Sunday July 9 2023. Nuria was the light of our lives. She embodied joy, kindness and generosity and she was loved by all around her.
“We would like to thank the efforts of the emergency services, all the extraordinary staff at St George’s Hospital, the parents of Nuria’s class fellows and staff of the Study Prep for all they have done to ease Nuria’s journey.
“We request that our privacy is respected at this difficult time.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted: “My heart goes out to the family of 8-year-old Nuria Sajjad and everyone affected by this tragic incident.”
Selena Lau’s family said she was “adored and loved by everyone” while community members called her their “shining star.”
Paying tribute, her family also described her as an “intelligent” and “cheeky” girl.
Issuing a picture of her beaming in her school uniform, they said in a brief statement through the Metropolitan Police: “Selena was an intelligent and cheeky girl adored and loved by everyone.
“The family wishes their privacy to be respected at this sad time.”
A number of other people, including a seven-month-old girl, were also taken to hospital with injuries later assessed as non-life threatening.
The driver of the car, a 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
She was taken to hospital, and her condition was assessed as non-life threatening. She has been bailed to a date in late July.
Thomas Barlow, councillor for Wimbledon Village, speaking to the PA news agency at the scene of the crash on Saturday, said: “Everyone’s in complete shock that something like this could happen… and the fact that this happened on the last day of term which was clearly a happy day at school is horrendous.
“The whole village is in shock, a lot of the people had connections to this school.”
Max Austin, councillor for Wimbledon, said his sister used to attend The Study Preparatory School.
“This is normally a very happy time here, everything is decorated for the tennis, the kids will get involved with it and the schools. There’s a sort of crude juxtaposition between the festive atmosphere here in Wimbledon and now this.
“My sister came to school here… this is a hyperlocal school and I think the people will come together.”
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