Unborn Life Lost
Unborn Baby Dies After Police Chase Crash in London; Suspect Arrested
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Key Points
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Met Police urged the public to contact them with information or dashcam/footage, directing people to call 101 and quote the incident log number "CAD 8670/13JUN" (reported in multiple outlets).
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Serious Collision Investigation Unit detective inspector Suzanne Quinton said, “Our thoughts are with the mother and father involved, and their family following the tragic loss of their child,” adding: “We would ask anyone with information or footage that could help to please come forward.”
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The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed, and a “mandatory referral” to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will be made “as is routine in cases involving serious injury.”
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The Mirror reported that the Lewisham Way crime scene was “since… lifted” (cleared) as the crash investigation continued.
A South London police chase ended in tragedy on Saturday night when a fleeing car crashed into a vehicle carrying a heavily pregnant woman, killing her unborn baby. The collision happened on Lewisham Way in New Cross at around 11:30 p.m. on June 13, Metro reported.
The suspect, a 29-year-old man, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, theft of a motor vehicle, failing to stop, and possession of Class A drugs, according to Mirror. The pregnant woman remains in hospital in a stable condition. Her partner, also in his 20s, was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.
Police Spotted a Cloned Plate Before the Chase Began
Officers on patrol noticed the suspect's car was displaying "cloned" number plates — fake plates copied from a legitimate vehicle to avoid detection. When they tried to stop the car, the driver sped away, Daily Star reported. A pursuit was authorized and the vehicle fled toward the New Cross area before crashing into the couple's car on Lewisham Way.
The couple had to be helped by emergency services at the scene. Despite the best efforts of medics, the woman's unborn baby did not survive. The crime scene on Lewisham Way has since been cleared as the investigation continues, Mirror noted.
Detective Leads Appeal for Witnesses and Dashcam Footage
Detective Inspector Suzanne Quinton, from the Met's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Our thoughts are with the mother and father involved, and their family following the tragic loss of their child. We would ask anyone with information or footage that could help to please come forward." Police are asking the public to call 101 and quote incident log number CAD 8670/13JUN, according to Metro.
IOPC Referral Triggers Scrutiny of Pursuit Decision
The Met said the crash has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) — the body that reviews whether police followed the rules during pursuits. The Met described this as a "mandatory referral," saying it is routine in cases involving serious injury or death linked to a police chase, Daily Star reported.
The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards has also been informed. The IOPC is expected to review dashcam footage and radio logs to determine whether the chase should have been stopped before it entered the busy Lewisham Way corridor, according to Streamline Feed.
Legal Gap Over Unborn Victims Could Shape the Case
The arrest on suspicion of "causing death by dangerous driving" is legally complex. Under current UK road traffic law, an unborn baby is not recognized as a "person," which can make that charge hard to prove if the baby was not born alive. Campaigners from the charity Sands are pushing for "Jax's Law" — a proposed change that would make causing the loss of a pregnancy through dangerous driving a specific offense carrying up to 10 years in prison, Metro reported.
This case follows another high-profile incident from April 2026, when two Met officers were charged over a 2024 crash in Eltham that killed a 38-year-old woman and her unborn baby. Legal experts say prosecutors may fall back on "causing serious injury" charges if the death charge cannot legally stand, given the current wording of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
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