A man and a woman in their 70s have died after a van being chased by police crashed into their car in southeast London.

Officers in a patrol car had flagged for a Ford Transit van to stop after they noticed it being driven “erratically at speed” at about 12am.

However, police said the vehicle failed to stop and at about 12.06am was involved in a crash with a Citroen C3 in Eltham.

Paramedics and firefighters were called to the crash but despite their efforts, the man and woman in the Citroen were pronounced dead at the scene.

Metropolitan Police said their next of kin have been informed.

Mahmut Hasan, 57, who lives on the street where the crash took place, said he was woken up after the Citroen collided with his Honda Jazz.

“I came down and saw them [emergency services] trying to resuscitate the older couple for a long time,” he said.

“I saw the passenger side had a walking stick next to it. Their whole car was a mess. Very badly damaged. The front was gone.

“[My car] is a write-off. The whole of the side is damaged… but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter because it’s just metal and rubber, and two people have sadly lost their lives.”

Council employees were seen putting down sand on the road on Saturday morning following the crash.

Tyre marks could be seen across the road and on a grass bank, and there was additional damage to a wooden post.

The driver of the van has been arrested on suspicion of driving whilst over the alcohol limit, driving while unfit through drugs and death by dangerous driving.

The man was taken to hospital but his injuries are not life-threatening.

Police said the Directorate of Professional Standards has been notified “as a matter of routine” and a referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is investigating the incident.

An IOPC spokesman said: “Our investigators have attended the scene and post-incident procedures to gather the initial evidence. Our investigation will focus on the police’s actions prior to the crash.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased and all those affected by this incident. We will make contact with the family at the appropriate point to explain our role.”

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