Met Police Officers Charged After Pregnant Woman And Unborn Child Killed In Crash

Two Metropolitan Police officers have been charged following a fatal collision involving an unmarked police car that killed a heavily pregnant woman and her unborn baby in south-east London.

The incident occurred in October 2024 in Eltham, when a 38-year-old woman’s vehicle was struck during an incident involving unmarked police vehicles responding to an unrelated emergency. She later died from her injuries, and her unborn child was pronounced dead at the scene. Following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the Crown Prosecution Service authorised criminal charges against two officers. PC Chris Johnson, aged 56, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Former officer Danny Tomkins, aged 35, who has since left the Metropolitan Police, has been charged with dangerous driving. Both were attached to a Met taskforce at the time of the crash.

According to investigators, the officers were operating unmarked vehicles when the collision occurred. One of the vehicles involved was driven by Johnson, while Tomkins was driving a second unmarked police car connected to the same operation.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the officers involved have either been suspended or are no longer serving, and said it is cooperating fully with ongoing legal proceedings. Both men are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 28 May. The IOPC said it had gathered evidence including CCTV footage, witness statements, and forensic collision analysis as part of its investigation. It added that decisions to bring charges followed a full review of the circumstances surrounding the crash. A spokesperson for the watchdog said the incident was “devastating” and confirmed that the family of the woman had been kept informed throughout the investigation. The case has raised renewed scrutiny over police driving standards during emergency responses and the use of unmarked vehicles in high-speed operations. An inquest into the deaths is expected to take place at a later date. The crash happened during an emergency police response involving multiple unmarked vehicles. The woman’s car was struck in the course of the operation, leading to fatal injuries for both her and her unborn child.