An elderly woman walking along the London streets was gravely injured after a motorcycle escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh crashed into her. After fighting for nearly 2 weeks, the 81-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries.
Helen Holland hailed from Birchanger, Essex and was visiting her sister in London when the incident occurred. The elderly woman was hit by the royal escort at the West Cromwell Road and Warwick Road junction on May 10, leaving her in critical condition. Holland was left in a coma for nearly two weeks before she passed away.
In a statement to the BBC, Holland’s son and daughter-in-law said that they were shocked and sickened at her extensive injuries.
Her son, Martin Holland, announced her demise and said that the incident had left her in a coma and that she had passed away after fighting for almost two weeks. He said that his mother had died due to "multiple broken bones and massive internal injuries."
Woman Hit By Royal Escort Dies
The Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie Wessex, was returning from a two-day visit to Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, where she met the country’s leaders and visited the girls' schools when the incident occurred.
According to her family, Helen Holland was a highly spirited woman for her age and was living her life to the fullest. She used to spend time with her family, take the dogs for walks, and have lunch with friends, which was one of her favourite things to do. Her family also appreciated the enormous outpouring of love and support they have been receiving.
The head of the Metropolitan Police Royalty and Specialist Protection Unit, Chief Superintendent. Richard Smith said that the tragic outcome is being felt by officials across the metropolitan police. He added that their thoughts are very much with Holland’s family and his loved ones. He also said that officers are aware that their actions both on and off duty are open to scrutiny and that they are cooperating with the IOPC’s investigations.
Woman Hit By Royal Escort Dies
A statement from Buckingham Palace expressed the duchess' deepest condolences to Helen Holland's family following the incident. The spokesperson of the palace added that the duchess was "grateful for the swift response of emergency services and will keep abreast of developments". It is reported that Duchess Sophie will get in touch privately with Holland’s family.
The police watchdog is probing the incident. The investigation is being carried out by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The regional director of IOPC said that some witnesses have already been identified, and now they are working towards finding everyone who witnessed the incident or recorded any part of it to help in establishing the full circumstances.
IOPC added that the CCTV from nearby properties and body cameras on police would be examined, and the officers would be interviewed.
Image Credits: BBC
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