An 8-year-old girl is in a ‘life-threatening condition’ after a fatal car crash at a school in Wimbledon

London police said on Friday that an 8-year-old girl was in a life-threatening condition in hospital after a car crash at a primary school in Wimbledon claimed the life of another girl of the same age.

The Metropolitan Police said a woman in her 40s was in a critical condition after crashing on Thursday on a narrow, usually quiet road in southwest London.

The Land Rover crashed into a fence and crashed into a building at the preparatory school for girls between the ages of 4 and 11.

The police said that the incident, which occurred when the children were having an end-of-year party in the park, had nothing to do with terrorism. They didn’t explain how the car swerved off the road so badly.

The Met said a woman arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving was released on bail pending further investigation until later in the month. Police said she was also taken to hospital, but her life was not in danger. It was not clear if she was still in hospital.

Police said a number of people, including a 7-month-old girl, were also taken to hospital but were not in critical condition.

On Thursday, the London Ambulance Service said 16 people, including the girl who died, were treated at the scene for injuries. Ten of them were later taken to hospital.

The Met said it is aware that the school-age children who were infected were pupils at the school and that the infected adults were parents or caregivers, not employees.

Detective Superintendent Claire Kelland, the chief of local police for South West London, said: “It is hard to imagine the pain and distress the families of those involved are going through, and we will do everything we can to support them while our investigation continues.”

“This was the largest Local Police deployment to South West London since 2017 and our officers, along with members of other emergency services, have faced a challenging and traumatic landscape,” she said.

The accident occurred about a mile (1.6 km) from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which hosts the world famous tennis tournament, Wimbledon.

Ian Hewitt, the club’s chairman, was one of many to lay flowers at the scene on Friday after police raised a cordon around the crash site.

He said, “We feel very connected to the community. What a tragic accident. We just offer our heartfelt condolences to all those affected.”

Unlike a major tennis event, the school is located in a somewhat remote part of Wimbledon and is surrounded by a few buildings, local parks, horse tracks and golf courses.

Members of Wimbledon Common Golf Club opposite the site of the accident observed a minute’s silence outside the school gates on Friday afternoon.

The group stood on the road to pay their respects and lay flowers.

The club’s chairman, Peter Thompson, said “It’s incredibly sad to lose someone so young”.