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Police have named a 16-year-old private school pupil who died after being hit by a taxi in north London, with her family describing her as a “light in our lives”.
Highgate School student Melissa Premaratne died following the crash on North Road in Highgate shortly after 8am on Thursday, according to the Metropolitan Police.
The driver of the Addison Lee car, a 68-year-old man, was arrested at the scene under suspicion of causing death by careless driving.
He has subsequently been released on bail.
In a statement released through the police, Melissa’s family said: “Melissa was a light in our lives and an amazing person.
“We will miss her deeply, every single day.
“Her kindness, warmth, and beautiful spirit will always remain in our hearts.”
Detective Inspector Simon Ager said: “Our thoughts remain with Melissa’s family following her tragic death.
“The loss of a young life in such circumstances is truly devastating, and we recognise the profound impact this will have on all those who knew and loved her.”
He stated that officers are supporting her family, adding: “Specialist officers continue to support Melissa’s family, and we would ask that their privacy is respected at this incredibly difficult time.
“Our investigation remains ongoing and we are working to establish exactly what happened.
“We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the collision or has any dashcam, CCTV or mobile phone footage from the area at around the time it occurred.”
Private hire group Addison Lee confirmed the vehicle involved belonged to the company.
A spokesperson for the company said: “Our thoughts are with her family and all those affected at this incredibly difficult time.
“As is standard for an incident of this nature, the response is being led by the police, and we are supporting them fully with their investigation.
“As the facts are still being established, we are unable to comment further at this stage.”
Highgate School released their own statement following the incident on Thursday.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the news that one of our Y12 pupils died today on the way to school in a road traffic incident,” the spokesperson for the private school said.
“This incredibly distressing news has come as a terrible shock to everyone at Highgate.”
