Claire Freemantle had a seizure before her car crashed into a school (Picture: PA)
The woman who killed two children after having an epileptic fit at the wheel and crashing her car into a primary school has been pictured for the first time.
Claire Freemantle was driving her Land Rover when she lost consciousness and crashed into the Study Preparatory School in Wimbledon last July 6.
Two eight-year-old schoolgirls, Selena Lau and Nuria Sajjad, were killed as they took part in an end of term tea party on the school grounds.
Several other people, including a woman thought to be a parent or carer and a seven-month-old baby, were injured in the crash, some seriously.
Earlier this week it was announced that Mrs Freemantle, 47 and a mother herself, will not face any charges over the crash after it emerged that she had suffered an epileptic fit at the wheel.
At the time, she had been arrested and bailed on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Claire Freemantle has no recollection of the fatal crash
Nuria Sajjad was one of the eight-year-olds killed in the crash (Picture: Family handout/Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)
Selena Lau’s parents say justice hasn’t been done (Picture: PA)
Neurological specialists found Mrs Freemantle had no prior diagnosis of a medical condition and had not had a seizure before. It’s thought she has surrendered her driving licence, and will have to prove to the DVLA that she is free from any seizure before getting it back.
Responding to Mrs Freemantle’s diagnosis, Epilepsy Society chief executive Clare Pelham said: ‘This is one of the most heartbreaking and tragic consequences of an epileptic seizure and our hearts go out to the families and friends of the children who died and to all those who were injured, physically and mentally, in these distressing circumstances.
‘We would never comment on anyone’s personal medical history and we are not aware of the circumstances that led to this tragedy. But we do know that epilepsy can be diagnosed at any stage of a person’s life and a first seizure may happen without warning.
‘As many as one in 20 people will have a one-off epileptic seizure at some time in their life. It could happen to any one of us.
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‘People with epilepsy whose seizures are not controlled by medications must stop driving and surrender their driving licence. But this tragedy highlights an unimaginable consequence of potentially a first seizure with no warning.
‘This distressing case underlines just how critical it is that more funds are invested in research that will enable us ultimately to better understand and treat the causes of epilepsy.’
In a statement after the CPS decision, Mrs …read more
Source:: Metro
