Car ploughs into family during police chase, killing woman and boy
A car being chased by police in England has ploughed into a family leaving two people dead.
Witnesses described the horror of the aftermath of the smash today in south-east London, which saw the pursued car crash into a group of four pedestrians.
One witness who helped with the aftermath said a woman in her 30s or 40s and a child aged around 10 had been killed
One man who lives near the scene said: "It was a horrific scene on a sunny afternoon in a sleepy place."
He said that a black car was being chased by two police BMWs when it tried to turn into Lennard Road, Penge.
"He lost control and ploughed into a family that was walking on the pavement down Lennard Road.
"People were trying to lift a car off a little girl. The police officers that were chasing were distraught," the man said.
The car was being chased because it had been reported stolen.
Another eyewitness, who also did not want to be named, said that apart from the two people who died, he saw two casualties who were children being taken away by ambulance.
In Lennard Road on Wednesday afternoon, a body wrapped in a red blanket could be seen before police erected blue tents.
The black Ford involved in the crash was on a grass verge as a helicopter flew overhead.
The road remained closed and several police officers were present.
A spokeswoman for London Ambulance Service said: "We sent multiple resources to the scene including three ambulance crews, two incident response officers, an advanced paramedic and London's Air Ambulance.
"Sadly, a woman and a boy died at the scene.
"We treated a further three patients, all girls, at the scene for multiple injuries and they were all taken to hospital."
Scotland Yard said: "At approximately 2.05pm on Wednesday August 31 a car was in collision with a number of members of the public in Lennard Road.
"The car was being pursued by police at the time of the collision. London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance attended - two people have been pronounced dead at the scene.
"The driver of the car has been arrested and remains in custody at a south London police station."
Watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission has been informed and is sending investigators to the crash scene.
Scotland Yard's internal standards department has also been told.
