Community reels following death of eight-year-old girl at prep school tea party

Selena Lau died after a vehicle crashed through a fence and into a building at The Study Prep school in Wimbledon on Thursday.

Eight-year-old Selena Lau was killed when a Land Rover crashed into a building at Study Preparatory School in Wimbledon, south-west London on the last day of term (Metropolitan Police, PA) (PA Media)

A community is reeling following the death of an eight-year-old girl after a Land Rover crashed into an end-of-term tea party at a prep school while another young girl fights for life.

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 driver, a 46-year-old woman from Wimbledon, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has been bailed pending further inquiries to a date later this month.

She was taken to hospital and her condition was assessed as not life-threatening.

Several other people – including a seven-month-old girl – were also taken to hospital and their conditions have been assessed as not life-threatening, the Met said.

The injured adults were parents or carers and not staff at the school, they added.

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.”

Max Austin, councillor for Wimbledon, said his sister used to attend The Study Preparatory School.

“This is normally a very happy time here, everything is decorated for the tennis, the kids will get involved with it and the schools. There’s a sort of crude juxtaposition between the festive atmosphere here in Wimbledon and now this.

“My sister came to school here… this is a hyperlocal school and I think the people will come together.”

Janice Howard, the past mayor of Merton, added: “I come here every week to walk, and I actually do a three-point turn here, so for me it’s quite inconceivable how this could’ve happened, it’s absolutely tragic.”

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.”