Vigil held for student killed in Strand crash

Friends and family of a student who died after being hit by a van near her university campus have held a vigil in her memory.

Aalia Mahomed, 20, a second-year student, was pronounced dead at the scene at the Strand, near the King’s College London (KCL) campus on 18 March, in a crash that also left three injured.

The driver of a van, a 26-year-old man, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and drug-driving offences and has been bailed while investigations continue.

A week after the crash, dozens of people gathered at the scene to pay tribute to Ms Mahomed – many of them wearing her favourite colour, green.

Ms Mahomed’s brother Zain spoke at the event, saying: “I would give anything for one more day with her.

“She will never get to be the cool aunt or that cat lady she joked about being. She was a hero, my hero.”

Shivanjaly Varathan, who went to school with Ms Mahomed, described her as being “so full of life, it was infectious”, while another school friend, Aleena George, said: “She had the best smile. When I think of her, she has that smile.”

Janelle De Sagun, a friend from sixth form, said in a speech at the vigil: “Thank you for letting me be your friend. It wasn’t hard to get to know you at all.

“I admired you then, I admire you now.”

Speaking later, she added: “I really looked up to her. I was like a puppy that followed her.

“She had this kindness and warmth that was contagious.”

Another of Ms Mahomed’s friends, Joseph Knight, said at the vigil: “Words are simply not sufficient to describe what Aalia meant to us.”

After the vigil, friends and family were taken to a King’s College site where the university’s a capella choir sang in her memory. Others gathered to lay flowers and write memorial notes.

In a statement released through the police after her death, Ms Mahomed’s family described her as a “bright, kind and beautiful soul, who brought joy and laughter to everyone”.

“She was a ray of sunshine in our lives, and will be deeply missed by all her family and friends,” they said.

“Her light will always live on in our memories and her smile will be our strength as we get through this difficult time.”

The Revd Dr Ellen Clark-King, dean of KCL who led the vigil, said it “allowed our university to come together with Aalia’s friends and family to celebrate her bright life, support one another and mourn her tragic death”.

She added: “The outpouring of love we heard during the vigil, and the many tributes and flowers that have been left on the Strand by those touched by her life, speak to what a truly special person Aalia was.

“We will continue to take strength from this and to support one another as our community comes to terms with the trauma of the incident and what has been lost.”