Police officer ‘drove straight into’ pensioner who died after royal escort crash

A police motorcyclist hit and killed a pensioner while driving over the speed limit and through a red light as he escorted the Duchess of Edinburgh through London, a court heard.

Helen Holland, 81, died two weeks after she was hit and sent flying through the air while at a pedestrian crossing on West Cromwell Road in west London on May 10 2023.

Metropolitan Police officer Pc Christopher Harrison, who has pleaded not guilty to causing death by careless driving, was travelling at between 44mph and 58mph as he approached the light, the Old Bailey heard.

The prosecution say Harrison was careless when he drove through a red light and hit Mrs Holland, who suffered serious injuries.

Passer-by Diana Cetara, who saw the collision as she took her dogs to the park, told the court: “She was crossing, a motorbike hit her and then she flew away – to be honest, I was a bit of a mess then.”

The speed limit on the road was 30mph at the time of the collision and has since been changed to 20mph.

Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC said Harrison, who, as he approached the light, was travelling between 44mph and 58mph, “was allowed to exceed the speed limit but he still had a duty to drive carefully”.

She said: “As a police escort motorbike, the defendant was allowed to do things other drivers can’t do, for example, he could exceed the speed limit, and go through red lights, but he still had a duty to other road users, including pedestrians, to make sure that his driving was careful.”

Harrison was among the team of convoy motorbike outriders that was escorting Sophie as she left the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office in King Charles Street just after 3pm.

The car that the duchess was in and a police backup vehicle were also part of the convoy.

The lead motorbike turned on to West Cromwell Road ahead of the rest of the convoy.

There was a pedestrian crossing, which was on green for the traffic as the first motorbike went through.

The information that there was a crossing was passed on to all of the motorcyclists so they knew to look out for it, the court heard.

Ms Heeley said: “The crossing then changed to red for the traffic.

“The second bike in the convoy went through and passed back the information that the lights had changed to red.

“Eighteen seconds later, Mr Harrison drove through the red light, he collided with Mrs Holland, who had been crossing at the pedestrian crossing.”

She was 2.9 metres into the crossing when Harrison’s motorbike hit her, the court heard.

Ms Heeley added: “Mrs Holland was entitled to be crossing then, Mr Harrison knew that the light for traffic, for him, was red, and so he should have taken care when driving through the red light, but he did not stop and he did not see Mrs Holland, which is why he drove straight into her.”

“He should have seen her, he should have expected there to be pedestrians and thus modified his driving somehow, but he didn’t, and that is why the prosecution say he was driving carelessly at that point.”

The job of the outriders was to pave the way for the convoy to travel onwards safely by spotting and controlling any potential hazards, which could include junctions or traffic lights.

The three outriders work in a leapfrog movement, one overtaking the other, passing information back to ensure those in the convoy know what is coming up and what hazards they are about to face, the jury was told.

The motorcyclists have whistles to help alert the public, and their bikes also have blue lights.

Ms Heeley explained that the motorbikes should look out for danger and then provide cover.

If the light was red for the convoy at a pedestrian crossing or there were people who may be using it then “the job of the motorcyclist is to control the crossing”, she added.

This could be done by placing one of the motorbikes across the crossing and communicating with the pedestrians to ensure they wait until the convoy has cleared.

Ms Heeley told the jury: “This collision occurred because Mrs Holland was crossing at a pedestrian crossing as she was entitled to do and Mr Harrison did not see her.

“He accepted in interview that he did not see her. He said she appeared from nowhere.

“She didn’t appear from nowhere. She must have been at the side of the road before she crossed, and then she was three metres into the carriageway when she was hit.

“Mr Harrison was entitled to drive exceeding the speed limit and to go through red lights but he still had a duty to drive carefully, sadly on this occasion his driving was not up to the expected standard.”

Harrison’s motorbike was examined afterwards and there was nothing wrong with it that would have caused the collision.

The trial continues.