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Natural History Museum crash: man arrested after car hits pedestrians Natural History Museum crash that injured 11 'not terror-related' – police
(35 minutes later)
Several people have been injured and a man has been arrested after a car struck pedestrians outside the Natural History Museum in west London. Eleven people have been injured after a car struck pedestrians outside the Natural History Museum in west London.
Scotland Yard said a number of pedestrians had been injured in the incident in Exhibition Road in South Kensington shortly after 2.20pm on Saturday. Scotland Yard said nine of those hurt were taken to hospital following the incident in Exhibition Road in South Kensington at about 2.20pm on Saturday. No injuries were thought to be life-threatening or life-changing.
Those taken to hospital included the driver of the car, who is under arrest and in custody at a north London police station. Police said the incident was a road traffic investigation and not a terrorist-related incident. Officers are continuing their inquiries.
However, the heavy and swift response to the incident by dozens of armed officers reflected the ongoing concerns about a possible terror attack in the capital following the Westminster and London Bridge incidents earlier in the year.
Prime minister Theresa May tweeted: “My thanks to the first responders at this incident this afternoon and the actions of members of the public. My thoughts are with the injured.”
Pictures and video on social media showed street damage and a large police presence in the capital’s museum district, which is also home to the Science Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum.Pictures and video on social media showed street damage and a large police presence in the capital’s museum district, which is also home to the Science Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Counter-terrorism officers were working to determine a possible motive for the incident. Video footage posted on Twitter showed a man being restrained on the ground in the middle of Exhibition Road. None of the four people surrounding him were in police uniform. A black Toyota car was behind them with the driver’s door open.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “Details are still emerging and I have spoken with and am in close contact with assistant Met commissioner Mark Rowley [head of UK counter-terrorism policing] and our other emergency services.” One witness, Lesley Carter, said passersby held the man down before police arrived: “I saw the man pinned down by about six people. It looked like the car had smashed into the wall between two other cars and the guy got out to run before being pinned down. Loads of people were running away and within minutes the police had turned up. It was a very quick response.”
Video footage posted on Twitter showed a man being restrained on the ground in the middle of Exhibition Road. None of the four people around him were in police uniform. A black Toyota car was behind them with the driver’s door open. The streets around the museum were cordoned off in the wake of the incident and South Kensington underground station was closed. By 4.30pm, police at the scene were telling curious tourists that the area was safe, but that an analysis was being carried out.
One witness, Lesley Carter, said passersby held the man down before police arrived: “I saw the man pinned down by about six people – one guy was trying to pin him down with his four- or five-year-old daughter in his arms.
“It looked like the car had smashed into the wall between two other cars and the guy got out to run before being pinned down. Loads of people were running away and within minutes the police had turned up. It was a very quick response.”
The streets around the museum were cordoned off in the wake of the incident and South Kensington underground station was closed.
By 4.30pm, police at the scene were telling curious tourists that the area was safe, while analysis was being carried out.
“I was serving some customers when the police came and just told everyone to run,” said a waitress from a restaurant on Exhibition Road, which was evacuated and cordoned off.“I was serving some customers when the police came and just told everyone to run,” said a waitress from a restaurant on Exhibition Road, which was evacuated and cordoned off.
Another witness, Maxim, told Sky News the man was taken out of the car before being held down.
“They took the man from the car and put him on the ground and then 20 minutes later evacuated the street,” he said. “There was a lot of police, I saw people running, people were panicking.”
Another witness said: “We were walking near the Science Museum and heard a bang, bang … at first I thought it was gunfire. Then we walked past the scene of the accident and saw a guy pinned down by other men and lots of people calling the police.Another witness said: “We were walking near the Science Museum and heard a bang, bang … at first I thought it was gunfire. Then we walked past the scene of the accident and saw a guy pinned down by other men and lots of people calling the police.
“There didn’t appear to be many people hurt – a few sat by the side of the road but more looking shaken than anything. We were then ushered into the Science Museum and the area was quickly cleared of pedestrians.”“There didn’t appear to be many people hurt – a few sat by the side of the road but more looking shaken than anything. We were then ushered into the Science Museum and the area was quickly cleared of pedestrians.”
A Metropolitan police spokesman said: “Officers are on scene, and the London ambulance service have been called. A man has been arrested at the scene.” A spokesperson for the nearby V&A Museum said it had not been closed to the public after the incident. The Science Museum also remained open but did not admit further visitors.
Downing Street said Theresa May was being kept up to date with developments.
A spokesperson for the nearby V&A Museum said it had not been closed to the public after the incident.
The Science Museum also remained open but did not admit further visitors.