Community reels following death of eight-year-old girl at Wimbledon prep school tea party
Selena Lau died after a Land Rover crashed into an end-of-term tea party at a prep school
Last updated 8th Jul 2023
Selena Lau died after the vehicle crashed through the fence and into a building at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London on Thursday morning.
Her 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."
Another eight-year-old girl was in a "life-threatening" condition in hospital on Friday night while a woman in her 40s remains in a critical condition.
The motorist, a 46-year-old Wimbledon woman suspected of causing death through reckless driving, was detained at the scene and released on bail pending additional investigations at a later date this month.
She was rushed to the hospital, where it was determined that her condition was not critical.
A seven-month-old girl was among the other patients who were rushed to the hospital; their symptoms have been deemed not life-threatening, according to the Met.
They said that the injured persons were not school employees but rather parents or carers.
A local teacher, who did not want to be named, told the PA news agency many of them have broken bones including a broken pelvis.
They said: "A friend of mine has friends who have children who go to the school.
"She said they have all kinds of broken bones including a broken pelvis.
"I'm a teacher and I'm a mother and it could have happened to us. It could have happened to anybody."
The school said in a statement that it was "profoundly shocked" by what happened.
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."
Parents with a young child paid their respects at the scene of the crash, they said: "Everyone's affected by it, everyone is questioning how it could've happened, I'm just feeling really sorry for the families of those affected and the kids who survived.
"It's a quiet road, I'm wondering how can a car build up such speed in a short space of time, it's crazy."