The tragic death of Jade Mutua, a 22-year old woman struck by a speeding police vehicle in a 30mph zone in Kensington, west London, back in August 2019, has sparked calls for a speed cap to be enforced on police officers in built-up areas. Jade’s father, Jermaine Laxmidas, advocates that implementing a legal speed limit for officers would be a significant step towards preventing such devastating accidents.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the official police watchdog, ruled the incident as a regrettable road traffic accident, stating the Metropolitan Police officer driving the vehicle was not at fault and had acted within the established protocols. Furthermore, the inquest made public last week at the Westminster Coroner’s Court reached the conclusion that Jade succumbed due to a road traffic accident.
The case rings painfully similar to the case of Shante Daniel-Folkes, a 25-year-old woman also struck fatally by a Metropolitan Police vehicle in June 2021 in Brixton, south London. This scenario ended in a three-year jail sentence for the officer involved, who was proven guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, traveling at a perilous 84mph in a built-up area right before the crash occurred.
Considering this rising trend of tragic accidents, concrete steps have been proposed. The IOPC is anticipating making a formal learning recommendation on enforcing a speed cap policy to the Metropolitan Police. Similarly, during the hearing for Ms. Daniel-Folkes’s case in February, Judge Mark Lucraft KC requested the Metropolitan Police to consider applying maximum speed limits for officers responding to incidents in residential areas.
A prospective social worker, Jade Mutua, was on Warwick Road at the time of the accident on 13th August 2019. She sustained fatal injuries that led to her eventual death two days later in the hospital. Mr. Laxmidas expressed his shock at the inquest upon listening to the officer’s elaboration on the speeds at which Metropolitan Police officers drive to incidents. He reiterated his call for a new law to limit the maximum speed for police forces on call-outs, stating that anybody could end up a victim.
Jermaine Laxmidas has since channeled his grief into constructive measures by establishing The Jade Mutua Foundation Trust. This organization, created in memory of his daughter, offers financial aid to young Londoners and helps realize Jade’s aspirations of becoming a social worker.
In response, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police explained that their drivers undergo comprehensive training to make appropriate speed decisions relevant to each unique circumstance. The IOPC investigation wrapped up in November 2020, but the findings were publicized only last week following the inquest conclusion.
Charmaine Arbouin, the IOPC’s regional director, conveyed her condolences to Ms. Mutua’s family and friends. She addressed the tragic nature of her untimely death and reassured that there was no evidence of misconduct by Metropolitan Police officers in this incident that would call for disciplinary or criminal action.
