Woman hit by the Duchess of Edinburgh’s police escort motorbike dies

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A woman who was hit by a police motorcycle escorting Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, earlier this month has died.

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Helen Holland had been critically ill in hospital after being “flung 40ft across the road” during the accident in west London on 10 May, and the 81-year-old grandmother-of-10’s family have now announced she has passed away.

Her family told the BBC she fought “for her life for nearly two weeks… but irreversible damage to her brain finally ended the battle today”.

And Helen’s son Martin said his mother – who lived in Birchanger, Essex, but had been in London visiting her sister – had died after “suffering multiple broken bones and massive internal injuries” while using the “safe route of [a] pedestrian crossing”.

Following the crash, Sophie said her “thoughts and prayers” were with the victim.

Buckingham Palace issued a statement which read: “The duchess’ heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family.

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“She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments.

“Further comments at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being questioned.”

It is understood the duchess, who is married to King Charles’ youngest brother Prince Edward, 59, was being escorted with a rolling police escort manned by motorcycle outriders when the collision happened.

Onlooker Martin Hennessy previously said he wasn’t surprised by the crash.

He told MailOnline: “This was an accident waiting to happen. The screens had been put up for the Coronation, but it meant that you had to step out a bit into the road to see any traffic…

“I was there soon after it happened and it was carnage. The poor lady was flung about 40ft along the road and paramedics were attending to her. She stepped out a bit to peer around the screens and was hit.”

The incident is being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).