An unmarked police car that killed a heavily pregnant woman in a crash was travelling at twice the speed limit, an inquest has heard.
Mariam Ahmed, 38, died after the Volvo smashed into her car in south-east London causing her vehicle to flip several times.
The police car was overtaking traffic in chase of a rider on a stolen motorcycle and was said to be travelling at 80mph on a 40mph road before the crash on October 17 last year.
Two Metropolitan Police officers are under criminal investigation for potential driving offences, including causing death by dangerous driving. Both are also being investigated for potential gross misconduct.
The inquest into the death of Ms Ahmed, who had been due to give birth within weeks, was opened London inner south coroner’s court and heard how two unmarked police cars with their lights and sirens were in pursuit of the bike before the fatal collision in Eltham at about 6.15pm.
Stephanie Smith, the case manager for the Independent Office for Police Conduct, who spoke to the court via a video link, said: ‘Meanwhile, Mrs Ahmed, who was 39 weeks pregnant, was driving westbound on the A210.
‘The police vehicles were travelling in the same direction behind her vehicle. Both moved into the offside carriageway and proceeded to overtake the slow-moving traffic which Mrs Ahmed was part of.’
Ms Smith added that one of the police vehicles successfully overtook Ms Ahmed but the other collided with her car as she made a right turn into the Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre, where she was due to collect her husband and daughter from.
