Woman dies after being hit by van on the Strand

A woman has died after a van crashed into a number of pedestrians on the Strand in central London.

The Met Police said a woman in her 20s was pronounced dead at the scene, while three other pedestrians suffered injuries.

The driver of the van, a 26-year-old man, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and drug driving.

Police said the incident, which happened at about 11:40 GMT close to King’s College London and Somerset House, was not terror related.

The arrested man remains in custody and inquiries are ongoing, the Met said.

A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service (LAS) said paramedics had treated four people at the scene, but “despite our best efforts one person was pronounced dead”.

Two of those injured were taken to hospital, one with potentially life-threatening injuries, and the other with minor injuries. The fourth person was discharged at the scene, they said.

Miles Damone, a student at King’s College London, told the BBC he saw a van “ram into a fence”.

He said: “The van came from one of the side roads by the Indian embassy and then at this point – I didn’t see how or when – crashed into the people.

“I just saw it coming from there, made a sharp turn and just rammed into the fence. It rammed into the side of the church.”

Ali, a PhD student at the university, said he had initially thought emergency services were there for a protest outside the university, until he saw ambulance workers carrying stretchers.

“[It] is so sad and hard to process – my thoughts go out to her family and friends,” he said.

“We walk by that crossing all the time and it’s pedestrianised, barely any vehicles pass.”

London Fire Brigade said two fire engines and about 10 firefighters from Dowgate and Lambeth fire stations had been called to the scene to assist the London Ambulance Service.

LAS sent ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, an incident response officer, a clinical team manager and London’s air ambulance.