Two friends who died alongside a third young man in a horrific car accident in Staples Corner

Three young people have died and another is fighting for his life after their car crashed near a retail park in north London.

Five people, believed to be in their 20s, were in the Mercedes CLK convertible when it crashed through a fence in a commercial car park down a 20-metre embankment and into trees in the incident on Sunday night.

Two of the youths who were killed were named locally on Monday as close friends Mohamad Emad Zeidani and Sohail Zulfiqar.

A family friend of one of the victims said they were returning from one of their regular visits to a 24-hour gym in Staples Corner when the accident happened.

The car was near Staples Corner just before 11.30pm when the alarm was raised and emergency services rushed to the scene, near Hendon.

Police said the convertible with five occupants crashed through a parking lot fence and landed on a patio, hitting a walkway.

No other cars are believed to have been involved in the incident and no arrests have been made.

The family friend, who gave his name as Nabil, said: “They were such lovely boys, we are all devastated. They studied together. They did everything together. They studied and went to the gym together.

“They were good guys, very smart.”

“How this could have happened we need to know. We need more information. The family is still waiting for answers.”

Police have confirmed that three men have died, while another is in a critical condition.

A fifth man suffered non-life-threatening injuries in what police described as a “terrible accident”.

Another friend at the scene said: “I’m told the boy who wasn’t that badly injured was thrown from the car, that’s why he survived. I talked to my friend who is one of their fathers. He needs answers.”

Police believe there were several cars in the parking lot. Inquiries are ongoing to establish what happened and trace anyone who was in the car park at the time of the incident.

Police traffic accident investigators were at the scene on Monday looking for clues. Debris was strewn across the road and guardrails were left crushed by the impact.

Footage from the scene showed the car in a bank of trees. The vehicle is understood to have left a road above. There were no arrests.

A local garage owner said: “I came to work this morning and there were police everywhere. It was a carnage. There, like blood on the road, it was awful.”

Inspector William McDonald, one of the officers in charge of Barnet Police, said: “Emergency services responded last night to what appears to have been a terrible accident.

“An urgent police investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances, led by detectives from the Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit.

“The officers are in the process of informing the families of the five young people. Families will be supported by specialist officers. I send my sincere condolences/

The air ambulance and fire crews with specialist cutting equipment to help free the crash victims from the wreckage were sent to the scene along with the police.

A statement from the Met added: “Police were called at 11.26pm on Sunday 14 April to reports of a road traffic incident involving a car at Staples Corner Shopping Park.

“It is not believed that any other vehicle was involved in the incident.

“Officers attended the scene along with London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance.

“They found five people, all believed to be men in their 20s. Unfortunately, three people were pronounced dead at the scene. Two other people were transported to the hospital, one is in critical condition, and the condition of the other person was assessed as not life-threatening.”

Police said there were extensive road closures following the crash, but all roads have now reopened.

Anyone who witnessed the incident but has not yet spoken to police is asked to call 101, reference 7502/April 14.