A young woman in her 20s has died after a van became airborne and crashed into a group of pedestrians outside King’s College London on The Strand in central London earlier today.
Witnesses described horrifying scenes as the transit-style van smashed through an iron gate, hit a planter, and launched into the air before ploughing into several people — including the woman, who had been sitting on a bench with friends at the time.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while two other people were rushed to hospital — one with potentially life-threatening injuries, the other with minor injuries. A fourth person was treated at the scene and later discharged.
A 26-year-old man, believed to be the driver, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and driving under the influence of a controlled drug. He remains in police custody.
Van ‘Briefly Airborne’ Before Deadly Collision
Eyewitness Josh, who works nearby, told The Sun:
“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.”
He added: “You could hear screams and people were running towards her to help. Another guy was injured by the actual gate coming down.”
Massive Emergency Response
The crash triggered a large-scale emergency response, with multiple ambulances, police vehicles, and an air ambulance dispatched to the scene. The London Fire Brigade sent two fire engines and 10 firefighters, assisting paramedics and police.
A blue forensic tent was erected near the crash site, and officers cordoned off a wide area around King’s College London’s Strand campus, adjacent to Bush House North.
King’s College Lockdown and Public Shock
King’s College London was briefly put on lockdown, with access restricted to students and staff while emergency services worked at the scene.
Students were left shocked and shaken. Ali, a 28-year-old PhD student, described the moment he realised something was terribly wrong:
“At first I thought it was a protest because we get those outside campus. But then I saw stretchers and people being treated. Knowing someone has died is heartbreaking — we walk by that crossing every day.”
Condolences and Investigation
Peter Babington, Priest-in-Charge of St Mary’s le Strand, which sits beside the crash scene, offered his condolences:
“I would like to offer my thoughts and prayers to the victims and the families involved in this terrible incident.”
The van, which sustained visible front-end damage, came to rest in front of the church and near King’s College London flags, having collided with a flowerbed after striking the pedestrians.
Police Appeal for Information
A Met Police spokesperson said:
“Police were called at 11:41hrs on Tuesday, 18 March to a collision involving a van and pedestrians near The Strand, WC2.
A woman in her twenties was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and driving with a concentration of a specified controlled drug above the legal limit.”
The collision is not being treated as terrorism-related, and enquiries are ongoing.
The Strand remains closed westbound from Surrey Street to Waterloo Bridge, with bus routes 9 and 23 diverted.
Witnesses Urged to Come Forward
Anyone with information, dashcam footage, or who witnessed the incident is asked to call Met Police on 101, quoting CAD 2771/18MARCH, or contact @MetCC on social media.
This is a developing story, and further updates will follow.
