A 16-year-old girl of Sri Lankan heritage who was killed while walking to school in north London on Thursday has been named as Melissa Premaratne.
Melissa, a Year 12 pupil at Highgate School, was struck by a car on North Road, Highgate, on the morning of 24 September. She was pronounced dead at the scene, close to the independent school’s main site.
The naming of the victim and the release of her family’s tribute on Saturday are what brought the case into Sri Lankan coverage three days after the collision.
What the Metropolitan Police say
Officers were called to North Road following reports of a collision between a pedestrian and a car. The two Sri Lankan outlets give slightly different times: the Daily Mirror reports the call came at about 08:15 BST, while Hiru News gives 8:13 a.m. The difference is not explained.
The driver, a 68-year-old man, remained at the scene and was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving. Hiru News reports he has since been released on bail while the investigation continues.
Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the collision, or who holds dashcam, CCTV or mobile phone footage from the area at the time, to come forward.
Family and school tributes
Melissa’s family described her as “a light in our lives and an amazing person”.
“We will miss her deeply, every single day,” they said. “Her kindness, warmth, and beautiful spirit will always remain in our hearts.”
A spokesperson for Highgate School confirmed she had been on her way to school when she was killed. “The loss of such a young life, so full of promise and hope, is deeply heartbreaking,” the school said, extending condolences to her family and friends and saying it would continue to support her family, pupils and staff.
The vehicle involved belonged to the private hire firm Addison Lee. The company said that “as the facts are still being established, we are unable to comment further at this stage”, and that it is assisting police with the investigation.
A note on sourcing
The Daily Mirror published its account with an explicit BBC credit, and the Hiru News report follows the same sequence of facts while adding the bail decision and the police appeal for footage. Both are reproducing British reporting rather than filing independently from London; the BBC’s own page was not reachable from our systems for direct verification.
