Nine people were hospitalised after a police chase ended in a multi-vehicle crash in east London in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Five with serious injuries after Ilford collision
The crash happened at around 12.30am at the junction of Barley Lane and High Road in Redbridge, Ilford. A suspected stolen car being pursued by police collided with another vehicle and a moped. Ten people were reported injured in total, according to the Metropolitan Police. The London Ambulance Service said it treated ten patients at the scene and took nine to hospital, with one person declining further assistance.
Five of those taken to hospital — aged between 14 and 46 — remain in hospital with serious injuries, police said. The injured include the driver and four passengers of the suspected stolen vehicle, the driver and two passengers of the other car, and the moped rider. Emergency services dispatched a large response, including ambulance crews, an incident response officer, a joint response unit, an advanced paramedic practitioner, members of the Hazardous Areas Response Team (HART), and London’s Air Ambulance.
The road was closed in all directions at the junction with Goodmayes Road and Barley Lane, causing diversions for bus routes 86 and 364. Officers remained at the scene hours after the collision.
Pursuit began after officers attempted to stop suspected stolen car
A Met Police spokesperson said officers on patrol at around 00:30hrs on Saturday, 16 May attempted to stop a vehicle after having reason to believe it was stolen. The car failed to stop, and a short pursuit ensued. It was subsequently involved in a collision on Barley Lane.
The spokesperson added: “Officers were supported by the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance. Six people were taken to hospital for assessment. Five people, aged between 14 and 46 years old, remain in hospital with serious injuries.”
Arrests and ongoing investigation
The driver of the suspected stolen vehicle, a woman in her 20s, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, theft and failing to stop. She remains in hospital. The four passengers of the stolen vehicle — a woman in her 40s, a teenage girl, and two men in their 20s — were also arrested on suspicion of being in a stolen vehicle. They also remain in hospital.
Enquiries are ongoing, police said. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or online, quoting CAD178/16May.
