Woman who was hit by Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s police escort has died

Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. Photo / AP

A woman who was hit by a police officer escorting Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh has died.

BBC reported this morning that 81-year-old Helen Holland has died with her family releasing a statement stating she fought “for her life for nearly two weeks... but irreversible damage to her brain finally ended the battle today”.

The crash occurred on May 11 when a police motorbike escorting Sophie drove through a junction and collided with Holland leaving her in critical condition.

Moments after the accident paramedics - both road and air ambulance - rushed to the scene and transported Holland to hospital with a Palace representative releasing a statement on behalf of the duchess and royal family.

The statement read, “The Duchess’s heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the injured lady and her family. She is grateful for the swift response by the emergency services and will keep abreast of developments,” Adding, “Further comment at this time would not be appropriate while the incident is being investigated.”

Road closures were put in place following the accident with a police cordon set up. Pictures of the scene appeared to show the Special Escort Group police motorcycle still sitting on the road.

No other injuries were reported, and the collision continues to be investigated by Independent Office for Police Conduct.

A police spokesperson spoke to Daily Mail following the accident and said inquiries were being made in an effort to understand how the accident occurred. The duchess did not suffer any injuries according to reports.