Three people killed when their car hit a stationary van, inquest hears

Police had been called to an earlier collision involving the van but the second crash happened before officers arrived at the scene.

Inquests into the deaths of three people in a road traffic collision were opened at Walthamstow Coroner’s Court in north London (Laura Parnaby/PA) (PA Archive)

Three people were killed when their car crashed into a stationary van that had been involved in an earlier accident, an inquest has heard.

Sachin Kalia, 19, Davina Kaur Ruprah, 24, and Kiranjeet Sagoo, 36, were travelling westbound on the A13 in east London when their car “lost control due to surface water” shortly after 10pm on July 15 this year, Walthamstow Coroner’s Court was told.

Police had been called to an earlier collision involving the van but the second crash happened before officers arrived at the scene.

Mr Kalia, a bartender and student from Barking in Essex, Ms Ruprah, a paralegal from Dagenham in Essex, and Mr Sagoo, a customer service adviser from Ilford in Essex, were pronounced dead at the scene in Wennington Marshes, Rainham.

The causes of death were listed as multiple injuries and a road traffic collision, and each victim was identified by family.

Opening the inquest into their deaths, area coroner Nadia Persaud said: “I would like the families of Kiranjeet, Davina and Sachin to be contacted to ask for background information, and if they have any concerns related to the death then I would like to hear them.”

She requested a collision investigation report from the police, and added: “If there is considered to be any defect in the road structure then I would like information from police about this.”

The coroner also asked to see any reports from roadside safety or highways teams.

The Metropolitan Police said the incident took place within its area but close to the border with Essex Police.

Calls to the first collision were answered by Essex’s control room and the Met picked up those for the second, the force said.

A fourth person was taken to hospital but has since been discharged and no arrests have been made.