A Metropolitan Police officer was driving at approximately 80mph on the wrong side of a 30mph road moments before a high‑speed crash that killed a heavily pregnant woman and her unborn child, a court has heard.
The Collision
PC Chris Johnson, 56, was behind the wheel of an unmarked police vehicle on Eltham Road, south‑east London, on the afternoon of 17 October 2024. The prosecution told Westminster Magistrates’ Court that Johnson had accelerated “to the maximum capability of the vehicle he was driving” and was travelling at roughly 80mph when he overtook other cars by driving on the wrong side of the carriageway for about 130 metres.
Former PC Danny Tomkins, 35, was driving a second unmarked police car on the same road. He overtook the victim, Mariam Ahmed, at 78mph moments before the collision, the court heard. Both officers were on duty as part of a pre‑planned deployment targeting vehicles suspected of involvement in criminal activity, said Catherine Farrelly KC, prosecuting. Emergency equipment – lights and sirens – had been activated on both police vehicles, according to later inquest hearings.
Ms Ahmed, 38, was driving a Volkswagen Polo and had indicated to turn off the road. She was pulling into the Sutcliffe Park sports centre car park when the collision occurred. Witnesses reported that her car flipped three times after being struck by the unmarked police vehicle, which was driving on the wrong side of the road. Four police cars had their lights on and were racing down the road at high speed, one witness said.
At the point of impact, Johnson had braked to around 50mph “braking to the maximum”, the prosecution stated. An emergency Caesarean section was performed at the roadside, but the baby was pronounced dead at 7:43pm. Ms Ahmed was taken to King’s College Hospital, where she died at 9:15pm.
Court Proceedings and Charges
PC Johnson has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving contrary to Section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 – an offence that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Former PC Tomkins faces a single charge of dangerous driving, which he denied when both men appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 28 May 2026 to confirm their names, addresses and dates of birth.
Outlining the case against the pair, Ms Farrelly said that both officers were driving at more than 70mph on a road with a 30mph limit and overtook vehicles on the wrong side. She told the court that Johnson was doing “somewhere in the region of 80mph” just before the collision and that his speed appeared to be the maximum the vehicle could reach. Tomkins, whose vehicle was not involved in the crash, drove past Ms Ahmed at 78mph, the prosecution added.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation after a mandatory referral from the Met Police. The IOPC confirmed in November 2024 that both officers were under criminal investigation for potential driving offences, including causing death by dangerous driving, and were also being investigated for possible gross misconduct. A third officer, who was a passenger in one of the police cars, was investigated for potential misconduct. At the conclusion of its inquiry in October 2025, the IOPC referred its files to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charges.
An inquest into Ms Ahmed’s death was opened in February 2025. At that hearing it was stated that the police car was believed to have been travelling at 80mph on a 40mph road while responding to a stolen motorbike.
PC Johnson is attached to the Met’s Taskforce. Tomkins was attached to the same unit at the time of the crash but has since left the force. Both men have been granted unconditional bail and will next appear at the Old Bailey on 25 June.
