A man who saw an elderly woman after she was hit by a motorcade for the Duchess of Edinburgh says the pedestrian was lucky to be alive after being “thrown across the road”.
The woman, in her 80s, was left in a critical condition after a police motorcycle escorting the King’s sister-in-law through west London collided with her on Wednesday afternoon.
The duchess said on Thursday her thoughts and prayers were with the woman, who has not been identified.
Martin Hennessy, 62, who lives yards away from the scene of the accident in Earls Court, said the council had been warned the junction was dangerous and people had died there because pedestrians were forced into the road to check for traffic.
“She’s lucky to be alive at all,” he told The Mirror. “The road is a nightmare. We’ve warned the council about it. There have been three people killed here.”
The retired antiques dealer added: “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’s when I saw this thoroughfare. She’d been thrown across the road and the ambulance were treating her.”
A Metropolitan Police vehicle that formed part of Sophie’s motorcade struck the woman on the M4 at the junction of Cromwell Road and Warwick Road, at around 3.21pm on Wednesday.
Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended, and the woman was taken to hospital.
Buckingham Palace said on Thursday that Sophie, who is married to Prince Edward, was grateful for the swift response by the emergency services, adding that she would keep abreast of developments.
The palace said: “The duchess’s heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation into the accident, and the Met Police said the Directorate of Professional Standards, which investigates officers’ conduct, has been informed, as is routine.
