Three young friends die in back seat as Mini hits tree

TWO women and a man were killed when their car smashed into a tree at high speed.

The three were in the back seat of a silver Mini Cooper when the driver lost control yesterday on the A12 in Ilford.

They were named today as Ashley Plumber, 20, Nathalie Mifsud, 21, and Terry Pluck, 23, all from Bow. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

The car was seen speeding along the A12 between the Barley Lane and Whalebone Lane junctions before it mounted the kerb and hit a tree sideways on.

The driver, a 20-year-old man, and the 21-year-old male front seat passenger, were injured. They were recovering in hospital today and their conditions were described as stable.

Police appealed for witnesses to the crash at about 2.45pm which caused major traffic delays.

Officers said they were investigating whether any of the back seat passengers were wearing seatbelts.

Sergeant Mark Robson said: "This tragic incident has ended with three young people losing their lives needlessly.

"I would urge anyone who may have seen the car travelling along the A12 to call police and help us piece together the events."