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Tuesday 14 August 2018

London Terror Probe After Several People Are Hurt When Car Intentionally Ploughs Into Cyclists At 50mph' And Smashes Into Security Barriers

The man in the left of the picture was arrested at the scene where two people were injured at just after 7.30am yesterday

Counter-terrorism police today completely sealed off Westminster after a car travelling at up to 50mph struck two pedestrians and ploughed into barriers installed to stop attacks outside the Houses of Parliament.

The driver, described as being black and wearing a puffa coat, was pulled from the smoking silver vehicle by around a dozen armed officers who had their rifles trained on him following the rush hour smash.

A 'loud bang' echoed around Parliament Square at 7.30am and witnesses said the car was travelling at up to 50mph and appeared to 'intentionally' swerve towards Parliament and smashed into a security checkpoint barrier. 
Armed officers swamp a crumpled silver car after a rush hour crash at Westminster today that left two pedestrians injured 

Two people were treated for their injuries in hospital but they are not fighting for their lives. Initially police were treating it as a road traffic collision but two hours later the force said: 'While we are keeping an open mind, the Met's Counter-Terrorism Command is leading the investigation into the incident'. 

Ewalina Ochab saw the incident and said: 'I think it looked intentional - the car drove at speed and towards the barriers', while witness Jason Williams said: I saw at least 10 people lying down. I had to run for my life.' 

More than 200 officers have been sent to Westminster who moved members of the public away from the area in every direction. 
This is the scene in the minutes after the crash and shows the vehicle was within the network of barriers outside Parliament. These were increased after the terror attack there last year
Specialist officers and sniffer dogs 'sanitised' the scene - a term used when checking for a bomb or dangerous chemicals. 

The Houses of Parliament is closed after the incident, but MPs are away because it is during the summer recess.

The crash came 17 months after Khalid Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge - killing five - before stabbing to death PC Keith Palmer at the gates of Parliament.
Cyclists abandoned their bikes after the collision with one being treated for injuries in the middle of the road 


This is the location of the barrier crash - just around the corner from where Khalid Masood killed six people in March 2017
Witnesses said officers initially stood back and said it seemed as if they were concerned that the car may have contained a bomb. 
Witness Jason Williams told ITV's Good Morning Britain that the incident was 'very, very scary', adding that he was feeling 'very anxious'.
He said: 'Basically I've seen a man driving a vehicle, and he's gone into one of the bollards. There was a loud bang.
'Straight away I thought 'Oh no, this is another terrorist attack'. So I've just started to run and the police were saying 'get out, get out of the area'.
Armed police raced to the scene have surrounded a car after a crash outside Parliament today - and the car was found off the road and inside the barriers
'It (the car) was behind me. I didn't see anyone else involved. I just saw this one vehicle, so it seems to be deliberate.
'I was very surprised (the police didn't go in straight away). They seemed to be standing back. They were obviously a bit wary, like what's going to happen next?
'I don't know if it was a tip-off, a warning, that this was a bomb. There seems to be maybe about 200 police here now, and it's all happened very quickly in the space of half an hour.
'I have seen people on the ground, lying on the road. I don't know if they have actually been hit by the vehicle or not. I saw at least 10 people lying down. 
'I was told basically to move away, to run. I have run for my life.' 
Bus driver Victor Ogbomo, 49, was driving passengers past the front of Westminster when he saw the crash.
He said: 'All I saw was the smoke coming out of a vehicle, a silver vehicle ... I just stopped the bus.
'The police said we have to move back, then in less than five minutes the response team came.
'They went to the vehicle, so we had to push back. I saw the car in the barrier, I didn't know how it got there.
'I think someone was inside the vehicle because many police went towards the vehicle.'
He said officers had their guns out when they arrested the driver.
Police have cordoned off Millbank and Victoria Tower Gardens.
Armed police, ambulances and firefighters were all on the scene.
Scotland Yard said on Twitter: 'At 0737hrs today, a car was in collision with barriers outside the Houses of Parliament.
'The male driver of the car was detained by officers at the scene. A number of pedestrians have been injured. Officers remain at the scene.

'We will issue further info when we have it.'


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