Met officers are charged after pregnant woman and her unborn baby were killed by 80mph unmarked police car a week before she was due to give birth

By ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:39, 15 April 2026 | Updated: 14:43, 15 April 2026 Two Met Police officers have been charged after a pregnant woman and her baby were killed in a collision with an unmarked car driving at 80mph. Mariam Ahmed, 38, died after the police Volvo ploughed into her car on the A20 in Eltham, southeast London on October 17, 2024. The police car had been travelling at 80mph on the 40mph road, an inquest last year was told.  PC Chris Johnson, 56, has today been charged with causing death by dangerous driving while former PC Danny Tomkins, 35, has been charged with dangerous driving. Both are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 28 May. The collision occurred at around 6.15pm as the officers, driving separate unmarked vehicles, were in pursuit of a rider on a stolen motorbike. Ms Ahmed, who reportedly was from Woolwich and had a husband and two daughters, was 39 weeks pregnant at the time.  An investigation into the crash was launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Mariam Ahmed, 38, died after the police Volvo ploughed into her car on the A20 in Eltham, southeast London on October 17, 2024  People lay flowers at the scene near the A20 and Kidbrooke Park Road in Eltham, southeast London PC Johnson is attached to the Met's Taskforce. Former PC Tomkins was attached to the same unit at the time of the incident. Acting Detective Chief Superintendent James Derham, who leads policing in Greenwich, said: 'Our thoughts remain with the woman's family and friends, who continue to grieve the loss of her and her unborn child. This was a truly terrible and heartbreaking incident. 'The IOPC have conducted a thorough and complex investigation and we have worked closely with them as their enquiries have progressed. Following that process, an officer and former officer have now been charged. 'It is important that nothing is said that could prejudice the court proceedings that will now follow, so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.' Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime division, said: 'Following a thorough review of the evidence in this case, we have authorised criminal charges against one current and one former police officer. 'Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.