Appeal for Witnesses to Park Royal Crash Continues | ||||||
Cars seen racing in the area before death of 33-year-old woman
Police investigating the circumstances of a fatal crash on the A40 are continuing to appeal for witnesses to come forward. They are still piecing together the chain of events which led to the death of a young woman and has left a 24-year-old man in a critical condition. They have acknowledged that reports of high performance cars seen racing in the area form part of their investigation. The driver of the car, which crashed by Park Royal station killing a woman passenger, is in a coma fighting for his life. The dead woman has been named as Yagmur Ozden, a 33-year-old woman with a 12-year-old daughter. Friends have described her as someone who was always prepared to help others out. She had been raised in Lebanon by a Jordanian mother and a Palestinian father, and moved to the UK to be with her mother and sister. She had previously run a beauty salon in Kilburn but this closed down during the pandemic. Her family has been informed and have asked for their privacy to be respected at this time. Another female passenger in the car, named as 26-year-old Zamarod Arif, has been treated for injuries which at not life-threatening ‘at this stage’. Reportedly she has a broken arm and leg. The driver has been named in the press as Rida Al Mousawi, a 24-year-old manager of a jewellery shop in Edgware his father is believed to own. Friends have told reporters that he narrowly avoided the need to have a leg amputated but remains in a critical condition in St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington. The car he was driving reportedly reached speeds of over 120mph before careering off the A40 westbound at 3.48am on Monday (22 August).
The Range Rover crashed through two fences into a Tesla dealership, injuring a 56-year-old Uber driver who was recharging his vehicle, before landing on the tracks of the Piccadilly line. Another driver who was also charging his car at the same time reports seeing the Range Rover fly through the air before crashing into the railway tracks. It is understood that Mr Al Mousawi met the two women at the Wish Lounge, a shisha restaurant in Park Royal, and had offered them a lift home before the crash occurred . He had recently purchased the Range Rover Sport SVR which has a 5-litre engine and a top speed of 176mph. Residents in the area have reported that there was exceptionally loud noise coming from cars on the A40 for over an hour before the crash happened. A BMW was seen driving around the Hanger Lane Gyratory at high speed.
Flowers have been placed at the scene of the accident by relatives of the victims and local people. Park Royal station has now partially reopened but engineers are still working to repair the damage to the tracks. Detective Sergeant Jim Hinchliffe, Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) said, "I am aware of the extensive coverage in the media and online. I would remind media and members of the public that this remains a live investigation and we continue to investigate the full circumstances of the collision. "I appreciate there is much speculation around the circumstances, including whether there had been racing in the area beforehand, and all of this forms part of the investigation.” Detective Constable Ben Simpson, investigating, said, "It is imperative that anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any dash cam, CCTV or doorbell footage of the moments leading up to it, make contact with the police immediately. “A person has died and another remains critically ill in hospital and we need the public's help to build our picture of what has happened here." Any witnesses yet to speak with police or with any footage are asked to call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0208 543 5157. You can also contact police via 101 or @MetCC ref CAD 905/22Aug. To remain 100% anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
August 28, 2022
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