Lorry driver dead and 11-year-old child in hospital after crash

The driver of a lorry which hit two cars before crashing into a house in south-east London has died and an 11-year-old child is in a life-threatening condition in hospital.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to the scene in Broad Walk, Kidbrooke, shortly after 8am on Monday following the collision.

One neighbour said she heard a loud bang that sounded like “an earthquake”.

The lorry driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while an 11-year-old child was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition, the Met said.

Two other males were taken to hospital, where their condition is not yet known.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We dispatched a number of resources including four ambulance crews, medics in cars, an advanced paramedic and our hazardous area response teams. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.

“Working closely with other emergency services at the scene, we assessed six patients.

“Unfortunately, one patient was found to have died at the scene. Of the remaining five patients, we took three to hospital and two were discharged at the scene.”

London Fire Brigade said the crash, involving a lorry and two cars, led to structural damage to a house in Woolacombe Road.

One of the firefighters on the scene, station commander Nathan Hobson, said: “It was a challenging incident and it appears that a lorry collided with two cars and crashed into a house.

“Specialist urban search and rescue crews attended the scene and efforts were made to free the lorry driver but sadly he was pronounced dead at the scene.”

One woman, who asked not to be named, told the PA news agency: “I was asleep at the time because my baby kept me awake in the middle of the night, until about 4.30am.

“So I woke up and just heard a loud bang – it sounded like an earthquake.”

Another local resident, who also asked to remain anonymous, described the crash, around 30 metres from his home as “utterly tragic”.

“About 8am when I was preparing school run for my kids, all (of a) sudden police, ambulance siren, helicopter sound went on,” he said.

“Local traffic was controlled by police, then I heard people are talking about a lorry crashed into local house… then someone was sent off (in an) air ambulance.

“Bit emotional myself right now after hearing an 11-year-old kid is in serious condition.

“It’s utterly tragic – my thoughts are with their loved ones.”

A tradesman working around 100 metres from the scene at the time of the crash said he first knew of the crash when he saw the air ambulance.

“I had no idea what happened before that,” he said.

“I just heard then saw this air ambulance so I knew something was up.”