Heavily pregnant girl and unborn child die after hit by police automobile as cops charged
Two police officers have been charged over the death of a pregnant woman and her unborn child after she was hit by a police vehicle in south east London in 2024
Tributes were laid for the woman and her unborn child following the incident (Image: PA)
A heavily pregnant woman and her unborn baby died after a road traffic collision with a police vehicle as two officers have been charged.
The 38-year-old woman was killed after her car was involved in a collision with a police vehicle on Eltham Road on October 17 in 2024, and her unborn child could not be saved.
The Crown Prosecution Service said it had authorised a charge of causing death by dangerous driving against Metropolitan Police Pc Chris Johnson, 56, the driver of the police vehicle involved in the collision.
Former Pc Danny Tomkins, 35, the driver of the second police vehicle, has been charged with dangerous driving, in relation to the standard of his driving. The charges follow an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The pair will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 28.
The Met Police said in a statement: “The charges relate to an incident that took place on Thursday, 17 October 2024, when an unmarked police car was involved in a collision with another car on the A20, near the junction with Kidbrooke Park, SE19.
A 38-year-old woman, who was heavily pregnant, was driving the car at the time of the collision. Her baby sadly died at the scene and she later died in hospital from her injuries.”
Acting Detective Chief Superintendent James Derham, who leads policing in Greenwich, said: “Our thoughts remain with the woman’s family and friends, who continue to grieve the loss of her and her unborn child. This was a truly terrible and heartbreaking incident.
“The IOPC have conducted a thorough and complex investigation and we have worked closely with them as their enquiries have progressed. Following that process, an officer and former officer have now been charged.
“It is important that nothing is said that could prejudice the court proceedings that will now follow, so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
