‘Extremely Distressing’: Major Incident Declared After SUV Driven Into School

Several people have been injured after a Land Rover drove into a primary (elementary) school building in Wimbledon, London, on Thursday morning.

Update 1600 — One child has been killed in today’s incident

An eight-year-old girl has died following an SUV-type vehicle crashing into her school. Pupils and staff were enjoying a tea party on the lawn on the final day of term when a gold-coloured Land Rover left the room and drove through the school grounds, eventually hitting the school building itself.

Ten people were taken to hospital, the majority of them children. The driver of the vehicle has now been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Update 1400 — Nine injured including children

Distressing news from Wimbledon, London as it is revealed the vehicle that left the road and smashed into the grounds of a girls’ school crashed through the final day of term celebratory tea party which was ongoing on the establishment’s lawn. Nine people are reported to have been injured in the incident, which is said to have been caused by the female driver of the Land Rover experiencing a “medical emergency”.

Of the injured, seven are children and two are adults. It is reported the London Air Ambulance came and went from the scene several times, implying there were a number of very serious injuries. No arrests have been made.

The original story continues below

A major incident was declared as the ambulance service, fire brigade, and police responded to a school near Wimbledon Common which had been hit by a Land Rover made SUV on Thursday morning. “Several” people are said to be injured and receiving treatment at The Study Preparatory School for girls, although who — and whether any of those impacted are children — has not yet been revealed.

Police have said they do not believe the incident is terror-related, reports the BBC. The ambulance service has declared a major incident and an air ambulance landed on an adjacent golf club.

Local Member of Parliament Stephen Hammond said news of the incident was “extremely distressing and extremely concerning” and that the narrow street outside the school got very crowded at times with people driving to and from local golf clubs.

One witness account relayed by London’s Evening Standard said: “a car just ploughed into the school and it didn’t look good. It’s so sad”.