An elderly woman has died after she was hit by a police motorcycle that was escorting Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. Helen Holland, from Birchanger in Essex, was rushed to hospital on May 10 afternoon after the incident in west London left her in critical condition. After the crash, Duchess Sophie said that her “thoughts and prayers” were with 81-year-old Ms Holland, who was a grandmother to 10.
According to an eyewitness, Helen was forcefully propelled approximately 40 feet across the road when she was struck by the police motorcycle.
The incident took place earlier this month at the junction of West Cromwell Road and Warwick Road in Earl’s Court, west London.
Helen’s son and daughter-in-law, Martin and Lisa-Marie Holland, expressed their shock and disgust at the extent of her injuries in an interview with the BBC.
They said they were “shocked and sickened at her extensive injuries”.
Following the crash, Buckingham Palace released a statement acknowledging the incident and stating that the Duchess was “grateful for the swift response of emergency services and will keep abreast of developments”.
It went on: “Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated.
“The Duchess’ heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.”
In an interview with Sky News, Helen’s family described her as a “beautiful, loving, kind, and caring lady” who consistently prioritised others over herself.
They further emphasised that the mother of four, grandmother of ten and great-grandmother of seven was “well-respected and popular member of the community”.
They said: “Helen may be 81-years-old but she is sprightly for her age and nothing stopped her living life to the full, spending precious time with her family, muddy walks with the dogs and lunches with friends is what she enjoyed most.”
The incident is being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).