Pictured: Girl, 16, fatally hit by taxi outside north London private school as family pays tribute
Melissa Premaratne had been making her way to classes at the £31,000-a-year secondary school when she was struck down by an Addison Lee.
A 16-year-old girl who died after she was hit by a taxi on her way to her north London private school has been named as Melissa Premaratne.
Listen to this article
Melissa was pronounced dead at the scene following a crash outside Highgate School on North Road at 8.13am on Thursday.
Her family said in a tribute that her "kindness, warmth, and beautiful spirit will always remain in our hearts.”
Melissa had been making her way to classes at the £31,000-a-year secondary school when she was struck down by an Addison Lee taxi.
She became trapped under the Mercedes Vito people carrier, which had to be lifted off her.
A 68-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving.
He has since been released on bail.
Read more: Man arrested after five people struck by a car in west London
Melissa's family said in a statement released via the Metropolitan Police. “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.“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.”
A spokesperson from Highgate School said Melissa was in Year 12 and on her way to school when the collision took place. Private hire group Addison Lee said in a statement that 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.”
Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, said on X: “I am devastated to hear about the death of a young girl outside Highgate School.
“My thoughts are with her family, friends, classmates, and all those affected by this tragic incident
.“I know this will be impacting the school and the wider community deeply, and I am here to support any constituents in need.”