A WOMAN has been left fighting for her life following a fatal collision near King’s College Campus in London yesterday.
The young woman was taken to hospital and remains in serious condition.
PAThe scene of an incident involving a van in The Strand, central London[/caption]
X/Game HedgehogA van has ploughed into three people in Central London[/caption]
X/kclquestionsCops said the incident is not thought to be terror related[/caption]
PAParamedics arriving after the horror crash[/caption]
Emergency services were called to the location near Somerset House where another woman in her 20s was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her family continue to be supported by specialist officers.
A 23-year-old man was also taken to hospital.
The driver of the van, a 26-year-old male, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by careless driving.
He was further arrested whilst in custody on suspicion of drug driving offences and has since been bailed with conditions while enquiries continue.
Josh, of Cadogan Tate, who was working metres from the incident, told The Sun that the van was briefly airborne before striking the woman, who appeared to be in her 20s.
The young victim was sitting with pals on a bench before tragedy struck.
He said: “The iron gate collapsed as the van was coming out of the service yard.
“It was still going at speed and it ended up clipping a planter before going through the air.
“It hit the girl as she was sitting on the bench with one of her mates.
“You could hear screams and people were running towards her to help. Another guy was injured by the actual gate coming down.”
The horror crash in the popular area took place in broad daylight as shocked students, tourists and nearby workers watched on.
Pictures from the area show a police cordon taping off the scene with multiple police and emergency vehicles in attendance.
King’s College campus was put on lockdown with no access to students.
Images from the scene have also shown cops put up a blue tent as the investigation continues.
The London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service were also in attendance.
A witness who gave his name as Josh said he heard a “bang” and “screams” at the time of the accident.
He said the van involved had driven out of a nearby service yard and through a gate before a group of people rushed over to help the victims.
He added: “We all went over there and then obviously one of my mates, he went in there, grabbed some first aiders and came out, we tried to get people away and all that.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah, in charge of policing for the area said: “This was a tragic incident which has deeply affected the community.
“I commend the actions of the emergency services and members of the public, who provided aid to those involved who tried to save this young woman’s life and help the others who were injured.
“This area of London is extremely busy and those who have been in the area over the last 24 hours would have noticed an increased police presence as our enquiries continue.
“Cordons have since been lifted, however we continue to work with those in the area, including King’s College London.
“We are aware of inaccurate speculation online about this incident being terrorism related. We ask the public to refrain from this speculation to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and avoid causing further suffering to the family of the young woman.
“Our thoughts remain with the family of the young woman who has died.”
One witness at the scene told LBC they heard “a few girls may have been hit”.
They said: “I’m waiting for my friends to come out, they sound pretty shaken but I don’t know what they saw.”
Another student told the outlet: “No one knew what was going on. There was lots of police tape and shouting and everyone sort of just stood there.
“We saw people lying down with people with ambulances around them.”
Chief Superintendent Thomas Naughton of the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command has talked of the policing team continuing to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
With the investigation in the early stages, officers are gathering CCTV and witness statements from the scene.
The Chief Superintendent continued: “The 26-year-old man who was arrested has since been bailed whilst our enquiries continue. This is a complex investigation which remains a priority to ensure justice for those affected.”
“Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or post @MetCC ref CAD 2771/18MARCH.
“To remain 100% anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
PACops erected a blue tent as they continued to investigate[/caption]
The area outside King’s College London has been cordoned offX/kclquestions Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
