Car Crashes Into London School, Killing 8-Year-Old Girl

An 8-year-old girl was killed and several others were injured on Thursday when a vehicle crashed into a private elementary school for girls in the southwestern London suburb of Wimbledon, the authorities said.

The police were called to the school, the Study Prep, just before 10 a.m., officials said, and ambulances services treated 16 people at the scene. Ten were transported to a hospital. St. George’s Hospital in South London said in a statement that a number of patients were being treated by “specialist clinical teams.”

“Very sadly one of the children, an 8-year-old girl, died at the scene,” said Clair Kelland, a detective chief superintendent of the police, in an emotional address to reporters on Thursday. “This is a very difficult time for everyone here at the school and across the wider community.”

The crash, about a mile from where the Wimbledon tennis tournament was being held, was not being treated as terrorism-related, Ms. Kelland said.

The driver of the car, a woman in her 40s, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The car was a Land Rover, according to aerial images of the crash site, which also showed tables and chairs in disarray. Mr. Kelland said the police had spoken to a number of witnesses and viewed CCTV footage, but asked people not to speculate as they investigated the circumstances.

The tragedy horrified residents in a quiet area of London that is popular with families and close to parks and a golf course. The police cordoned off surrounding streets and urged the public to avoid the area to ease access for emergency services. Firefighters were also at the scene, where they removed safety railings to help emergency services reach the site.

Crews would be offered counseling, Andy Pennick, deputy assistant commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, said in a statement, adding, “This is an incredibly sad incident.”

The Study Prep offers classes to girls ages 4 to 11, and its website lists fees as about $21,000 per year. This was the last week of class before summer vacation.

Stephen Hammond, a member of Parliament whose district includes Wimbledon, told the BBC that the crash was “extremely distressing and extremely concerning.”

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, wrote on Twitter, “My thoughts are with families, staff and the community involved and I am hugely grateful for the fast action of the emergency services who are currently at the scene.”

“My heart goes out to everyone affected,” Mayor Sadiq Khan of London said in a statement, calling it “absolutely devastating.”