Paramedics tend one of the injured outside The Old Queen’s Head in Essex Road. Picture: Jade Barlow on Twitter

A CAR which collided with drinkers outside a pub in Essex Road on Saturday, leaving three people seriously injured, was not being chased by police, the Met has said.

Witnesses have told the Tribune the collision outside The Old Queen’s Head just before 11pm occurred after the car appeared to lose control as it drove out of Gaskin Street at high speed, with a police car following behind.

The incident caused panic among a group of about 30 revellers queuing up outside the pub – particularly as it happened days after Khalid Masood, 52, drove a car into crowds in Westminster, killing three, before fatally stabbing a policeman guarding the Palace of Westminster.

Witnesses said one of the Essex Road victims lost consciousness after being dragged along the ground by the vehicle. Three people – two women and a man – were taken to hospital for treatment to injuries.

Police at the scene. Picture: Shulem Stern on Twitter

One of them has since been discharged while the others remain in hospital with injuries that are not life threatening.

Sophia Deasley, 20, whose balcony overlooks the scene, said: “I heard the wheels of a car screeching and saw it mount the kerb. It made a sharp turn and lost control and went into the crowd of people.

“There was a police car behind. It wasn’t that close [behind]. The car had already mounted the kerb when the police car came out [of Gaskin Street]. There was a car in front of the getaway car and that’s why it stopped.

“One person got hit from behind and dragged across the road. After they’d gone there was the biggest patch of blood on the road.”

Ms Deasley added: “They [people in the getaway car] definitely knew police were behind them. You wouldn’t drive like that otherwise. The police car was too close behind them for them not to know they were being followed.

“I didn’t hear sirens, and the blue lights didn’t come on until the hit happened.”

Officers, assisted by armed units, made a number of arrests in the surrounding area following the crash. Scotland Yard said they responded to a robbery in nearby Cross Street just before the crash and denied it was a police pursuit as defined by Met guidelines.

The scene of the crash that left three people injured

But due to the collision happening “in the vicinity” of officers, the incident has been referred to the Department of Professional Standards as well as police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). A Met spokesman said: “At this early stage of the investigation there is no evidence of a police pursuit. However, the circumstances of the collision continue to be investigated.”

The IPCC said that after “a careful assessment” it determined the matter should be dealt with by the Met internally.

Police chases have been controversial in Islington after the deaths of Henry Hicks and Lewis Johnson, both 18, in moped crashes while being followed by officers in 2014 and 2016 respectively.
There is no suggestion officers did anything wrong in the incident in Essex Road on Saturday.

Stephanie Rundle, 30, who was at the nearby The New Rose pub, said: “I’ve lived in Islington for seven years and this was the scariest situation I have experienced in the area. Suddenly, people were running towards us, and dozens of police cars came flying down Essex Road from all directions and a police helicopter [was] flying above.

“There was a lot of commotion. After the attack at Westminster you could tell people were extremely worried.”

Superintendent Peter Gardner, of Central North Area Basic Command Unit, said: “I would like to praise the actions of our officers who dealt with a traumatic incident and displayed remarkable courage and professionalism.”

Police recovered two knives at the scene, one inside the car and one nearby. They want to trace a man who tried to resuscitate one of the victims. Police tweeted: “Appeal for the gent who gave a male CPR on Essex Road to call us. He deserves some recognition. Left when police took over. Lifesaver.”

• Five accused – a 17-year-old from Highbury, a 17-year-old from Ilford, a 19-year-old from Forest Hill, south London, and a 15-year-old – appeared at Highbury Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with aggravated vehicle taking. On Wednesday, Jason Furtado, 20, of Southgate Road, Canonbury, was charged with the same offence. A 17-year-old from Islington has been bailed to a date in early May.