A heavily pregnant mother and her unborn baby were killed when an unmarked London police car smashed into her vehicle at high speed — as she was turning into a shopping center where her family was waiting for her, according to police and witnesses.
The 38-year-old woman and her unborn child died as a result of their injuries after the unmarked Metropolitan Police vehicle collided with the victim’s car on the A20 in Eltham Thursday night, police said.
Witnesses said the police car was speeding on the opposite side of the road when it smashed into the victim’s car, causing it to flip three times and lose one wheel, as she was turning into the Sutcliffe Parks Sports Centre, according to British outlets.
A man then ran out of the shopping center with a toddler, screaming that he was the woman’s husband as first responders performed an emergency C-section, according to witnesses.
“Her husband came running out the gate by the leisure center with their daughter and was screaming her name and talking to her,” a witness, who was leaving flowers at the crash site, told The Mirror.
“He said to her to carry on breathing. Someone took the daughter away into the park.”
The witness said the pregnant victim “stood no chance,” during the high-speed collision.
“The car just went flying. It smashed over on its roof and went over three times. I just feel so sorry for the man. He was expecting a new baby in a week and now he’s lost half his family.”
Abu Bakar, who also witnessed the horrific crash, said first responders performed an emergency C-section on the woman in the middle of the road in an effort to save the unborn baby.
“The police cars were racing down the road towards the petrol station. They didn’t brake at all — they were just hoping she managed to turn in time before they hit her,” Bakar said, according to The Mirror.
“It was shocking. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. I was in tears.”
Flowers and candles have since been laid at the crash site, British outlets reported.
Police haven’t identified whether the unmarked car was responding to an emergency at the time but said the matter is under investigation.
“My heart goes out to the woman’s family and friends who have lost their loved ones in these tragic circumstances,” Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry said in a statement.
“An investigation into the circumstances of this collision is under way by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and we will assist with their enquiries in any way we can.”
The two officers who were in the unmarked car were taken to the hospital following the collision and have since been discharged, police said.
