Teen dies after being hit by Tube train as police chase van he was travelling in

24 August 2023 , 11:06

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Officers at the scene of the incident (Image: PA)

A teenage boy has died after being struck by a train following a police attempt to pull over the van he was travelling in.

The incident took place on Monday 21 August, in East Acton/Shepherds Bush, west London, around 8.35pm after an unmarked police car attempt to pull a van over. Initially, the van seemingly came to a stop, but when officers got out it drove away again, the police said.

It later hit a number of other cars and then the people inside the van fled on foot a short time after. It was during this that the boy, said to be in his late teens, was struck by a underground tube train not far from the East Acton underground station.

One of the vehicles hit by the fleeing van (PA)

Maria Kabungcal, 46, who lives near the scene, said she heard emergency services activity from her garden. She said: “When I went in the kitchen, I saw the lights of the police and when I came out there were just a lot of people there and some of them were standing there by the gate, and there were plenty of police by the car park.

“I heard from the people saying there was like a van that was driving and it crashed there, and some of the people jumped from the fence. I saw the police on the railway, maybe searching for them. Then I came inside.”

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Mike Hill, 64, who lives in the same block of flats, said: “We just heard fire engines, the ambulance and police cars. We saw the car get towed away. All the air bags had gone and the back wheel was missing. They were all searching the railway lines last night and there were no trains until this morning.”

Chief Superintendent Lou Puddefoot, in charge of policing in Central West BCU, said: "I am extremely sad to confirm the death of this teenager, and my thoughts and condolences are with his friends and family following this tragedy. We are in contact with his family, offering specialist support and updates on our work to determine what happened.

“This has caused devastation to the young man’s loved ones, and we also understand how concerning an incident like this is for local people. Since the initial incident, representatives from our Professional Standards Department have visited the scene and are continuing to gather evidence.

“The case was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and after a thorough assessment, the IOPC has confirmed that is now for the Met to review, and to find out whether anything could, or should, have been done differently."

The Metropolitan Police stressed that they were not pursuing the van when it crashed into other cars, or the boy when he was hit by the train.

Kieren Williams