A 26-year-old man has been released on conditional bail following a tragic collision in central London that killed a woman and injured three others, Metropolitan Police have confirmed.
The crash occurred at around 11:40am on Tuesday, March 18, when a van mounted the pavement and struck pedestrians on The Strand, close to King’s College London and Somerset House.
Despite the efforts of emergency services and bystanders, a woman in her 20s was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other victims were taken to hospital, including a 27-year-old woman who remains in a serious but not life-threatening condition, and a 23-year-old man who has since been discharged. A fourth person was treated at the scene and did not require hospitalisation.
Investigation Ongoing
The arrested man was initially detained on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and driving with a concentration of a specified controlled drug above the legal limit. He has now been released on conditional bail while investigations continue.
The Met Police have reiterated that the incident is not being treated as terror-related, following speculation on social media.
Det Ch Supt Christina Jessah said:
“I want to commend the members of the public who tried to save this young woman’s life and help the others who were injured.
We are aware of inaccurate speculation online about this incident being terrorism-related. We ask the public to refrain from this speculation to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and to avoid causing further distress to the family of the young woman.”
Scene of the Crash
Photographs from the aftermath show a blue van with a black stripe parked behind police cordon tape, with a forensic tent erected at the scene. Around a dozen emergency service personnel—including police, ambulance crews, and firefighters—responded to the incident.
Cordons have since been lifted, but officers are still liaising with King’s College London and local businesses as part of the investigation.
A King’s College spokesperson said they were continuing to work closely with emergency services and providing support to staff and students.
A spokesperson for London Ambulance Service added:
“We treated four people at the scene. Sadly, despite our best efforts, one person was pronounced dead.”
Appeal for Information
Police are asking anyone with information or dashcam footage from the area at the time of the collision to come forward.
Witnesses can contact the Met Police on 101, quoting CAD 2771/18MAR, or submit information anonymously via Crimestoppers.
Further updates will follow as the investigation progresses.
