Highgate pupil Melissa Premaratne dies after collision

A 16-year-old Highgate School pupil, Melissa Premaratne, died after a collision involving a private hire vehicle on North Road in Highgate, north London, on September 24. A 68-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and was later released on bail while police enquiries continued. The Metropolitan Police said officers were called at 8:13 a.m. to reports of a collision involving a pedestrian and a car. The time of the collision was reported as shortly after 8 a.m.; the London Ambulance Service said it was called at 8:11 a.m. Emergency crews attended, and Premaratne was pronounced dead at the scene. Highgate School said Premaratne was a Year 12 pupil travelling to school when the collision happened. The school said her death had deeply affected its community and that it would support her family, pupils and staff. Specialist police officers were also supporting her family, the force said. In a family tribute released through police, her relatives described Premaratne as a light in their lives and said they would miss her deeply. They remembered her kindness, warmth and spirit.