Two people have died after a black Ford Focus chased by police crashed into pedestrians on Lennard Road around 2:05pm this afternoon (Wednesday 31 August).
A 36-year-old woman reported to be Rosie Cooper and a 10-year-old boy, her nephew, were killed. Three girls were also taken to hospital after the vehicle was driven up onto the pavement.
The boy has been named locally as Makayah McDermott. Two of the girls, 13-year-old twins, are believed to have received minor injuries. The other girl, aged about 7 and believed to be the daughter of the woman who died, was reportedly more seriously injured.
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Police say they began pursuing the car 5 minutes earlier in the vicinity of Birkbeck Road, Beckenham.
London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended the collision near Parish Lane, but the two people were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the car, a 23-year-old man, ran a short distance and hid behind a bush, but a member of the public told an officer where he was, and he was arrested. The man remains in custody at a south London police station.
Police say that The Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed. The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also been informed. They have spent most of the afternoon at the scene working along side Police
