‘A true angel of life’: Tributes pour in for heavily pregnant 38-year-old mother who was killed alongside her unborn baby when a police car ‘traveling at more than 70 mph’ crashed into her Polo

Tributes have begun to pour in for a heavily pregnant woman who was killed alongside her unborn baby after a Met Police car traveling at more than 70mph smashed into her Polo.

Flowers left for the woman named in tribute only to Mariam were left outside Sutcliffe Park Sports Center following the horror incident which took place at around 6.15pm on Thursday on the A20 in Eltham, in south-east London.

A tribute reads: “Mariam – The most incredible wife, mom, daughter, sister and friend. Having you in our lives has been such a blessing. You were a true angel on earth and our lives will never be the same again. We promise to always take care of your family.

“Baby, we never had the chance to meet you but we know that you and mom take care of each other, you will always be in our hearts.

“Sleep well, our friend and Bubba. We love you beyond words.

Witnesses recalled Mariam’s husband running out of the nearby sports center on Kidbrooke Park Road shouting “that’s my wife” on Thursday evening.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is now appealing for witnesses as part of its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision involving a Metropolitan Police vehicle.

A mother and son who were driving directly behind the 38-year-old woman said the police car hit her blue VW Polo at high speed near the intersection with Kidbrooke Park Road.

The mother said a wheel on the woman’s car came off in the crash and the hood of the Polo ended up under her own vehicle.

“She had no chance, she had no time to move, it could have been us, a few seconds later, she had no time to react,” she said.

His son added: “They probably hit it at about 70 or 80 miles an hour, but that was once he braked, but going down the road he was probably doing more.”

He said the woman’s husband was shouting at his dying wife to keep breathing, before being taken back to the leisure center by a member of the public.

An IOPC Fund spokesperson said: “The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was a heavily pregnant woman. Unfortunately, the woman and her baby died.

“The collision occurred at around 6.15pm on Thursday when an unmarked police vehicle was involved in a collision with the member of the public’s vehicle.”

They added: “We were informed by the force and sent investigators to the scene and into the post-incident process to begin gathering evidence. We collect CCTV footage, obtain data from the police vehicle and liaise with the coroner’s office.

The victim has not been formally identified but his next of kin have been informed.

The spokesperson added: “We have spoken with them today and will keep them updated on the progress of our investigation.”

IOPC Regional Director Mel Palmer said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those who died and everyone affected by this tragic incident.

“It is important that we establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident and our investigation is at its very early stages. This is a busy road and the collision happened in the early evening when people were probably circulating.

“We would like to hear from anyone who was nearby at the time and may have witnessed the incident or the moments leading up to it.”

“Anyone who has seen anything or has images is encouraged to contact our investigators.”

Eltham MP Clive Efford said in a statement: “This is a terrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to the victims’ family.

“The incident is currently being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and I will be asking them many questions which I hope they can answer in their final report.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry, in charge of policing in Greenwich, said: “My heart goes out to this woman’s family and friends who lost their loved ones in these tragic circumstances.

“An investigation into the circumstances of this collision is underway by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and we will assist in any way we can.”

It comes as residents, horrified by the crash, raised concerns about the safety of Kidbrooke Park Road – with some describing it as a “death trap”.

This woman is the second person to be killed on this stretch of road in just a few weeks.

On October 1, a woman in her 60s died after being struck by a motorbike while walking along Kidbrooke Park Road.

Local Charlie Fancy, 25, told News Shopper speeding was a common problem in the area.

She said: “It’s scary when you’re trying to cross the road, especially with a buggy, because it’s just come off the motorway (A2), so cars come around the corner really fast.”

Another who wished to remain anonymous added: “The main problem is people coming off the motorway at 80km/h straight into an area where there is a nursery and two schools, so it’s a bit of a death trap.”

It is not yet clear whether the police car was responding to an emergency situation when the woman and her unborn baby were killed.

A witness, Abu Bakar, 34, said the woman was heading towards the Sutcliffe Park sports center when an unmarked police car “traveling on the wrong side of the road” collided with her.

“Four police cars had their lights on and were running down the road. The speed they were going – I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

“One of the cars hit her and she overturned three times. His car was badly destroyed.

A video filmed by Mr Bakar after the accident showed a blue vehicle on the side of the road, badly damaged.

Another eyewitness told the Telegraph that an unmarked police car, believed to be a black Volvo, had its blue lights and siren on at the time.

The anonymous witness said: “I heard it before I saw anything, I looked out the window and saw the unmarked police car.

“I didn’t see him get into the other car, but it looked like he was speeding.”

“The other car, a blue car, collided, flipped onto the curb about three times, then righted itself and landed there.