A woman who was critically injured amid a crash with Sophie Wessex' s police escort is in a coma, according to her family.
Helen Holland was “thrown 40 feet across the road” an eyewitness said, after she was knocked down by a motorbike which was travelling with the Duchess of Edinburgh.
According to the Mirror, the incident happened on Wednesday afternoon at a junction in the Earl's Court area of London.
Speaking to the BBC, her son Martin and daughter-in-law Lisa-Marie Holland said that they were "shocked and sickened at her extensive injuries".
They added: "She is being well cared for by the NHS who we must thank deeply for their help in keeping her alive."
Buckingham Palace released a statement on Thursday stating that the Duchess was "grateful for the swift response of emergency services and will keep abreast of developments".
It continued: "Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated. The Duchess' heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family."
Martin Hennessy, 62, told how he seen the woman peering around black curtains shielding a junction box when she was hit.
He told the Mirror: “She’s lucky to be alive at all. The road is a nightmare. We’ve warned the council about it. There have been three people killed here,” said Mr Hennessy.
“When you get to the junction you have to step out to see if anything is coming, that’s when she was hit. I came out to walk the dogs and that's when I saw this thoroughfare. She’d been thrown across the road and the ambulance were treating her."
A police spokesperson said: "At approximately 15:21 on Wednesday, 10 May a police motorcycle on escort duties was involved in a collision with a member of the public on West Cromwell Road, Earls Court, SW5.
"Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance attended and a woman, aged in her 80s, was taken to hospital. She remains there in a critical condition. Her family have been informed.
"There are no reports of any other injuries."
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