Three East London motorists die after police sent to wrong crash site

Three motorists were killed after a second collision on the A13 at Wennington junction on 15 July 2024, the Walthamstow coroner’s inquest heard on 29 July 2026. The victims, Sachin Kalia, 19; Davina Kaur Ruprah, 24; and Kiranjeet Sagoo, 36, died at the scene, as reported by the Standard.

Sequence of events on the night of 15 July

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The first incident occurred at about 9:12 pm when a speeding BMW lost control and struck a Ford Transit that was parked in the central reservation, pushing the van slightly onto lane three, according to the Standard. A passing driver called 999 at 9:19 pm and told the operator that the crash was at Wennington junction between the A13 and A1306. The call handler entered the wrong location, Dagenham junction, into the system and dispatched officers there.

Officers arrived at Dagenham, found no wreckage and then searched one junction in either direction before returning to the control room. By the time they were redirected to the correct site, the second collision had taken place, killing the three occupants of a westbound vehicle.

Coroner’s verdict and recommendations

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Coroner Nina Persaud said the fatal collision could have been avoided if officers had been given the correct location and arrived before the second crash, as reported by the Standard. She added that the police could have used a “fend‑off” position to slow traffic and removed the Transit from the reservation, which might have prevented the tragedy.

“If the officers had been at the correct junction, they would likely have arrived before the second collision and could have taken steps to protect other road users.”

Nina Persaud, Walthamstow coroner

Persaud issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report highlighting the failure to record the precise location, the reliance on mobile‑phone mast data, and the need for call handlers to prioritise verbal descriptions. She noted that the correct location was eventually identified using the What3Words system.

Metropolitan Police response and new training

The Metropolitan Police acknowledged the recording error and said the call handler received a structured “learning through reflection” period, as reported by the Standard. The force also confirmed that What3Words has been formally incorporated into its 2026 training syllabus for all new 999 call handlers. Operators will now be required to ask for, recognise and use the three‑word codes when callers give a location.

Updated guidance makes clear that verbal descriptions must be recorded in the remarks field and that mast data should be treated only as a supplement. The police said the change aims to reduce the risk of similar mistakes and improve response times in future emergencies.