Two police officers have been charged after a pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed when they were hit by an unmarked police car allegedly travelling at 80pm in pursuit of a stolen motorcycle. Mariam Ahmed, 38, who had been due to give birth within weeks, died after the unmarked Volvo hit her car, sending it rolling over three times and causing local homes to shake.

The police vehicle was allegedly travelling at twice the 40mph road's limit. Mrs Ahmed, who was pulling into a sports centre car park to collect her husband and daughter, was cut free from the wreckage but was tragically pronounced dead at the scene before medics performed an emergency caesarean section and fought for 40 minutes to save the baby.

But their efforts proved unsuccessful and the tot was declared dead alongside its mother on the A20 in Eltham, south-east London at 6.15pm in October 2024. Two officers, who were travelling in separate unmarked cars, were taken to hospital after the crash but were subsequently discharged and the CPS has now authorised criminal charges against both men.

PC Chris Johnson, 56, the driver of the police vehicle, who is based at Catford police station, involved in the collision, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

Former PC Danny Tomkins, 35, who has now left the MET, the driver of the second police vehicle, has been charged with dangerous driving, in relation to the standard of his driving.

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.

"The charges relate to the death of a 38-year-old woman in a fatal road traffic collision on Eltham Road, south east London on 17 October 2024.

"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.

"We have worked closely with the Independent Office for Police Conduct as it carried out its investigation."

The two defendants are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on May 28, 2026.

The fatal accident happened close to the entrance to the Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre.

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."

Earlier this year an inquest opening into Mrs Ahmed's death, heard how two unmarked police cars were travelling west on Eltham Road at 6.15pm with their lights and sirens on.

Stephanie Smith, the case manager for the Independent Office for Police Conduct, said: "The police vehicles were travelling in the same direction behind her vehicle. Both moved into the offside carriageway and proceeded to overtake the slow-moving traffic which Mrs Ahmed was part of."

One of the vehicles successfully overtook Mrs Ahmed, who was going to collect her husband and daughter from Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre, but the other collided with her car as she made a right turn into the sports centre.

The hearing was told Mrs Ahmed's legs were trapped in the footwell of the car and emergency services were forced to perform an emergency C-section at the roadside as they tried to save her baby. But the baby had no signs of life and was pronounced dead at just after 7.30pm while Mrs Ahmed was taken to King's College Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 9.17pm. The inquest was adjourned to a later date.