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'We deserve answers': Parents of girl killed in Wimbledon school 4x4 crash say they are ‘living a nightmare’
24 October 2024, 14:25 | Updated: 24 October 2024, 15:36
The parents of girl killed when a 4x4 crashed into a school's end of year tea party have told LBC they are 'living a nightmare.'
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Saj Butt and Smera Chohan, parents of Nuria Sajjad, have told of their ongoing search for answers after their daughter's death when a 4x4 ploughed into a school playground last July.
Fellow eight-year-old pupil Selena Lau also died in the crash.
Speaking to Shelagh Fogarty on LBC today, Saj said: "Whatever these answers are, we deserve them. I miss her every moment. I just want to know what happened."
Mother of Wimbledon school crash victim says 'very simple questions' went unanswered by police
Smera said: "We shouldn’t have to ask and ask - we should be on a half term with our daughter. Why are we here? We are not even healing yet, we’ve got this fight ahead and we are hopeful.
"I don’t remember much, I remember taking a photograph with her. It was the end of year three. She was having a party and we took a photo... she was eating a pastry. I know she never got to finish that pastry.
"Whatever happened on July 6 last year there will never be any winners. We deserve the respect of clarity, the respect of a thorough investigation and the respect of answers. Our grief is doubled, quadrupled, we are still in a waiting room."
Saj added: "Neither of us are able to comprehend. We visit her multiple times a week and when you stand there at your daughter’s grave and you are unable to look out for why you are there it’s very very difficult.
"We do not have any degree of assurance… of why the event took place.
"Whatever these answers are, we deserve them.
"I miss her every moment. I just want to know what happened.
Watch Again: Shelagh Fogarty is joined by parents of Wimbledon school crash victim | 24/10/24
"No parent, no-one should go what we are going through, that’s it. We are living a nightmare."
Their comments come after it emerged that an investigation into the crash is to reopen.
Several others were injured when the 4x4 crashed through a fence and collided with a building.
The woman driver crashed her Land Rover Defender into the end of year tea party at school in Wimbledon in July last year. She was arrested and bailed on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
The Crown Prosecution Service said earlier this year that the driver would face no criminal charges after medical experts ruled she suffered an epileptic seizure at the wheel.
The CPS said the driver had no prior diagnosis of a medical condition and had never had a seizure before.
Confirming that the case would be reopened, a spokesman for the Met told the Mail: "We believe this further investigative work will address all questions raised by the families affected.
"It will be undertaken by an accredited senior investigating officer and team with experience in homicide investigations."
Investigators will reconsider the medical evidence of the driver, Clairer Freemantle's epilepsy. They will also appeal to members of the public to come forwrad qith any information.
The parents of the two girls killed in the crash welcomed the decision to reopen the case.
Nuria's father Saj Butt, said: "No parent should ever have to go through the pain my wife, Smera, and I have experienced over the past 15 months.
"The initial investigation seemed flawed and left so many unanswered questions.
Listen to LBC on Wednesday from 1pm to hear the parents of Nuria Sajjad talk to Shelagh Fogarty
You can listen live to LBC, and catch up on any shows you missed, on Global Player.
"Now, as we put our lives on-hold again, we can only welcome the news that a new investigation has been launched with a new, specialist and more experienced team.
"While we know nothing will bring Nuria back, we hope this new investigation will finally uncover what really happened on 6 July 2023, and at last allow us, and the hundreds of others affected by what happened, to begin some sort of healing process."
Selena's mother said: "'All we have ever wanted is a thorough and open investigation for Selena, Nuria and the other families whose lives were turned upside down one summer afternoon, whatever the outcome might be.
"Before the 6th of July 2023 I had always believed the police would be there, for anyone, at their time of need. Instead, since that day, we have been left in a strange kind of limbo not knowing why this tragedy occurred.
"This new investigation is welcome and I sincerely hope that this ongoing nightmare for all of the families and Selena's schoolmates can come to an end soon."
Ms Freemantle earlier expressed her "deepest sorrow" and said she had "no recollection of what took place" after losing consciousness because of an epileptic seizure at the wheel.
In a statement to the PA news agency, she said: "Since I became aware of the terrible event that took place on July 6, the devastating consequences for all those affected have not left my thoughts and will be with me for the rest of my life.
"I have since been diagnosed as having suffered an epileptic seizure with loss of consciousness. This was not a pre-existing condition. As a result of losing consciousness I have no recollection of what took place.
"I can only express my deepest sorrow for the families who have suffered such dreadful loss and injury.
"As a mother, I understand there can be no words that adequately express the pain and loss resulting from what happened in those horrendous moments while I was unconscious.
"My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all of the children and families affected, and especially to the parents of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau."
