A woman in her 20s has died and two others were injured after a van ploughed into a lunchtime crowd in central London. The vehicle crashed outside Bush House on The Strand near King’s College London and Somerset House.
Van Smashes Into Pedestrians Near King’s College London
Emergency services rushed to the scene at around 11.39am after reports of a serious collision involving a van and multiple pedestrians. Despite efforts from paramedics, one woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Another victim suffered potentially life-threatening injuries and a third person sustained minor injuries.
Footage from the scene showed paramedics treating casualties on the pavement and a police tent erected near the gates of the university’s Strand campus. A dark Ford Transit van with its front badly damaged was also seen inside the police cordon.
26-Year-Old Driver Arrested at the Scene
The van driver, a 26-year-old man, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and driving with an amount of a controlled drug above the specified limit. He remains in police custody as enquiries continue. Police confirmed the incident is not terror-related.
Eyewitnesses Describe Chaos and Confusion
Giangiacomo, 20, a student at King’s College, said he saw at least two people on the ground and added: “It’s scary… I saw the medics reanimating someone. It raises a lot of questions how the van got through turnstiles that are usually closed.”
Another student described seeing the van “going fast and swerving before a loud crash,” while politics student Arndt, 18, said he saw bodies lying on the ground and police performing CPR on one of the victims.
Investigation Ongoing
Metropolitan Police have appealed for witnesses and confirmed that a crime scene remains in place. Armed officers, fire crews, and ambulance services all responded to the incident. The road remains blocked off to the public.
