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 Earl’s Court on May 10, 2023
An elderly woman was killed when a police motorcyclist, escorting Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, sped through a red light and collided with her in West London, a court has heard. Helen Holland, 81, succumbed to her injuries two weeks after being struck and flung into the air at a pedestrian crossing on West Cromwell Road in Earl’s Court on 10 May 2023.
Metropolitan Police officer PC Christopher Harrison, who denies causing death by careless driving, was reportedly travelling between 44mph and 58mph as he approached the traffic light, according to the Old Bailey. The speed limit on the road was 30mph at the time of the incident and has since been reduced to 20mph.
The prosecution alleges that Harrison acted carelessly when he ran the red light and hit Mrs Holland, resulting in severe injuries. Eyewitness Diana Cetara, who was walking her dogs to the park at the time of the collision, 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.”
Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC stated that Harrison, who was travelling at speeds between 44mph and 58mph as he neared the traffic light, “was allowed to exceed the speed limit but he still had a duty to drive carefully”.
She explained: “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”, reports MyLondon.
Harrison formed part of the convoy motorcycle outrider team that was providing an escort for Sophie as she departed from the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office in King Charles Street shortly after 3pm.
The vehicle carrying the duchess and a police support car were also components of the convoy. The leading motorcycle turned onto West Cromwell Road in advance of the remaining convoy members.
A pedestrian crossing was present, displaying green for traffic as the initial motorcycle passed through. Details about the crossing’s location were communicated to all motorcyclists so they would be aware to watch for it, the court was told.
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 continued: “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 role of the outriders was to clear the path for the convoy’s safe passage by identifying and managing any potential dangers, including junctions or traffic signals.
The three outriders operate using a leapfrog system, with one overtaking another whilst relaying intelligence back to ensure convoy members are aware of upcoming obstacles and risks they may encounter, the court heard.
The motorcyclists carry whistles to help warn members of the public, whilst their machines are also equipped with blue lights.
Ms Heeley outlined that the motorbikes should watch for danger and then offer protection.
Should the signal be red for the convoy at a pedestrian crossing or if there were individuals who might be using it, then “the job of the motorcyclist is to control the crossing”, she explained.
This could be achieved by positioning one of the motorcycles across the crossing and liaising with pedestrians to ensure they remain stationary until the convoy has passed through. Ms Heeley informed 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.”
Following the incident, Harrison’s motorbike was inspected and no faults were found that could have contributed to the collision. The trial continues.