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| Woman and boy dead in Penge as stolen car pursued by police 'hits family' | Woman and boy dead in Penge as stolen car pursued by police 'hits family' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A woman and a boy died when a car being chased by police mounted a pavement and crashed "into a family" in south-east London. | A woman and a boy died when a car being chased by police mounted a pavement and crashed "into a family" in south-east London. |
| The car was being pursued along Lennard Road, Penge, when it struck the group at about 14:05 BST, witnesses said. | The car was being pursued along Lennard Road, Penge, when it struck the group at about 14:05 BST, witnesses said. |
| The woman and boy died at the scene, while three girls were taken to hospital with "multiple injuries", London Ambulance Service (LAS) said. | The woman and boy died at the scene, while three girls were taken to hospital with "multiple injuries", London Ambulance Service (LAS) said. |
| The driver of the car - reported stolen - has been arrested and is in custody. | The driver of the car - reported stolen - has been arrested and is in custody. |
| One witness said the black car was being chased by two police BMWs when the driver "lost control and ploughed into a family". | One witness said the black car was being chased by two police BMWs when the driver "lost control and ploughed into a family". |
| "People were trying to lift a car off a little girl," the man said. | "People were trying to lift a car off a little girl," the man said. |
| Another witness, Venissa Vassell, said about 20 people lifted the car and the girls "crawled out". | Another witness, Venissa Vassell, said about 20 people lifted the car and the girls "crawled out". |
| One girl who was taken away by ambulance was screaming, "I can't feel my legs", Ms Vassell said. | One girl who was taken away by ambulance was screaming, "I can't feel my legs", Ms Vassell said. |
| Man 'in bushes' | Man 'in bushes' |
| Ilya Baxter, 23, saw the police chase from a window in his flat. | Ilya Baxter, 23, saw the police chase from a window in his flat. |
| He described seeing a white man aged between 18 and 25 running across the road around the corner from the crashed car, before police caught him. | He described seeing a white man aged between 18 and 25 running across the road around the corner from the crashed car, before police caught him. |
| He said: "I heard the cars and saw someone pointing to the police where he went. I knocked on the window and pointed." | He said: "I heard the cars and saw someone pointing to the police where he went. I knocked on the window and pointed." |
| He said that the man was hiding in the bushes. Police then caught the man, handcuffed him, and then went to help the injured, he added. | He said that the man was hiding in the bushes. Police then caught the man, handcuffed him, and then went to help the injured, he added. |
| Analysis: Nick Beake, home affairs correspondent, BBC London | |
| The majority of police pursuits in London take place at relatively low-speed and end quickly when the driver pulls over. | |
| But there's been concern about a recent rise in the number of people killed in car chases. | |
| The police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), says there were 13 deaths in the UK in 2015/16 - during or after police chases - up from six the previous year. | |
| In London in 2015/16 there were three deaths, up from one the previous year. | |
| The Metropolitan Police philosophy is that no pursuit is worth risking the safety of the public; that travelling through built-up areas at more than 40 or 50 mph is simply not worth it. | |
| With the amount of CCTV on the streets of the capital, tracing vehicles - after the event - is easier than ever before, although watching a suspect get away is clearly galling for officers, and a great worry if the suspect poses an immediate threat. | |
| Sources say it's become increasingly common for a senior officer - monitoring events in real-time in the police control room - to call off a chase if they feel the risk to the public has become too great. | |
| Often, the control room will try to scramble the most highly-trained pursuit officers to take over. They are in the minority, though, and the body which represents rank and file officers, the Police Federation, has said a reduction in specific road policing officers nationally has led criminals to think they can get away. | |
| With fewer specialists on the roads, more chases will be allocated to officers who don't have the daily experience of high-speed pursuits. | |
| The details of what happened today in Penge are still not clear. But this crash shows once again how devastating the consequences of police chases can be. | |
| Police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has sent investigators to the scene, and appealed for witnesses to contact it. | |
| Over the last 10 years, 252 members of the public have died following road traffic incidents involving the police in England and Wales, according to the IPCC. | Over the last 10 years, 252 members of the public have died following road traffic incidents involving the police in England and Wales, according to the IPCC. |
| In London there were 498 crashes involving a pursuit by Met officers in 2015-16. | In London there were 498 crashes involving a pursuit by Met officers in 2015-16. |