"She was a ray of sunshine in our lives"
The family of a woman who died in a fatal collision in central London have paid tribute to her, calling her a “beautiful soul”.
Aalia Mahomed, aged 20, was killed in a collision involving a van and pedestrians on The Strand, near King’s College London’s Aldwych campus.
Emergency services were called at 11:41 am on March 18. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her family described Aalia as a “beautiful soul”.
In a statement, they said: “Aalia was a bright, kind and beautiful soul, who brought joy and laughter to everyone.
“She was a ray of sunshine in our lives and will be deeply missed by all her family and friends.
“Her light will always live on in our memories and her smile will be our strength as we get through this difficult time.”
Police said specialist officers are supporting the family, who have requested privacy during this “difficult time”.
Aalia was a student at King’s College and Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah, in charge of policing for the area said:
“This was a tragic incident which has deeply affected the community.
“I commend the actions of the emergency services and members of the public, who provided aid to those involved who tried to save this young woman’s life and help the others who were injured.
“This area of London is extremely busy and those who have been in the area over the last 24 hours would have noticed an increased police presence as our enquiries continue.
“Cordons have since been lifted, however, we continue to work with those in the area, including King’s College London.
“We are aware of inaccurate speculation online about this incident being terrorism-related.
“We ask the public to refrain from this speculation to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and avoid causing further suffering to the family of the young woman.
“Our thoughts remain with the family of the young woman who has died.”
London Ambulance Service said four people were treated at the scene. Two pedestrians were taken to hospital, and one person was discharged at the scene.
A 27-year-old woman remains in serious condition in hospital, though her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. A 23-year-old man was also taken to hospital and has since been discharged.
Police arrested the van driver, a 26-year-old man, on suspicion of causing death by careless driving. Officers later arrested him on suspicion of drug driving offences while in custody.
He has been bailed with conditions while investigations continue.
Police said the incident is not being treated as terror-related.
King’s College London said it was aware of the incident and was working with police to gather more information.
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