Car Crashes Outside British Parliament: Man Arrested on Suspicion of Terrorism

LONDON—Three people were injured when a man crashed into barriers outside the UK Parliament building in central London just after 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 14, police said.

The 29-year-old driver of the car was detained by officers at the scene, London’s Metropolitan police said in a statement on Twitter.

The London Ambulance Service said they treated two people at the scene before taking them to the hospital. Officials said one man has been discharged while one woman is still being treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries. Another man was treated at the scene but was not taken to the hospital.

The Met’s counter-terror chief Neil Basu said the suspect is being held in a South London police station and police are searching the vehicle. He confirmed the force is treating the crash as an act of terrorism.

“Given that this appears to be a deliberate act, the method and this being an iconic site, we are treating it as a terrorist incident and the investigation is being led by officers from the Counter Terrorism Command,” he said.

No other suspects were arrested at the scene.

Police said that counter-terrorism officers were carrying out searches at three addresses in the Midlands in connection with the crash.

“There is no intelligence of further danger to Londoners or the rest of the UK in connection with this incident,” he said.

Armed police stand in the street after a car crashed outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London on Aug. 14, 2018. Reuters/Hannah McKay

Westminster underground station was closed while emergency services dealt with the incident.

Witness Jason Williams told Sky News, “Someone driving toward parliament at speed, it wasn’t a normal ... it’s not like a road traffic incident.”

Barriers were put in place at the scene as officers investigated the crash.