'Lucky to be alive': Eyewitness says woman in her 80s hit by Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh motorcade 'thrown across road'
12 May 2023, 06:51
An eyewitness has said a woman in her 80s is "lucky to be alive" after being hit by a motorcade escorting Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
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The woman is in hospital and was fighting for her life on Thursday after being hit just before 3.30pm the day before, at the junction of Cromwell Road and Warwick Road in Earl's Court, west London.
The police vehicle was part of a 'royal motorcade' escorting Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh. The royal said her "heartfelt thoughts and prayers" are with the family of the woman.
Retired antiques dealer Martin Hennessy, 62, who lives yards away said: "She's lucky to be alive at all. The road is a nightmare. We've warned the council about it. There have been three people killed here."
He told The Mirror: "When you get to the junction you have to step out to see if anything is coming, that's when she was hit.
"I came out to walk the dogs and that when I saw this thoroughfare. She’d been thrown across the road and the ambulance were treating her."
Cromwell Road connects with Talgarth Road, which leads drivers through Hammersmith, Chiswick towards the M4 motorway, which leads to Windsor, though it is unclear when the Duchess was travelling to.
Moving eastbound, the road heads through South Kensington, towards central London.
In a short statement, Buckingham Palace said: "The Duchess's heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.
"She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments.
"Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated."
Road closures were in place while police continue to assess what happened.
The Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Professional Standards has been made aware of the incident, a spokesperson has confirmed, as is standard practice.
The force said in a statement: "A woman has been injured after being involved in a collision with a police motorcycle in west London.
"At approximately 15:21hrs on Wednesday, 10 May a police motorcycle on escort duties was involved in a collision with a member of the public on West Cromwell Road, Earls Court, SW5.
"Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance attended and a woman, aged in her 80s, was taken to hospital. She remains there in a critical condition. Her family have been informed."
It came just a day after the Duchess of Edinburgh joined the Prince and Princess of Wales at a Buckingham Palace garden party.
Overall, eight thousand people were welcomed into the grounds for the event, which celebrated the work of volunteers, military personnel and members of the public.
The couple were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who matched Kate by wearing a regal blue dress.
