A 13-year-old girl has died in a crash involving a vehicle that was being pursued by police in Lewisham, south London, Scotland Yard has said.
Her parents and brother were taken to hospital; their injuries were not thought to be serious.
The incident, which happened just before 6.30pm on Sunday, was attended by police, ambulance and fire crews. The Metropolitan police said the police car had its blue lights and sirens on when a Peugeot 308 it was pursuing collided with the family's Volkswagen Polo.
The male driver of the Peugeot was arrested and taken into custody. A female passenger was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Commander Tony Eastaugh said: "An innocent family are now dealing with the tragic loss of a loved one.
"The Metropolitan police has now begun a thorough investigation into the circumstances of this terrible incident. The thoughts of our staff and officers are with the family at this time."
Traffic police and officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards were investigating, the force said. The Independent Police Complaints Commission had also been informed and an investigator was at the scene assessing the circumstances of the collision.
Debris was later cleared and traffic was moving at the scene of the crash – at a junction in Ilderton Road in south Bermondsey – by rush-hour on Monday morning.
Parents taking their children for the start of term at nearby Ilderton primary school spoke of their sadness and shock at the death of the girl.
Michelle Foster, 37, a nursery assistant from nearby Sharratt Street who had walked her nine-year-old to school, said: "I am shocked – I heard the news from another mum as we were walking along to school. I feel very, very sorry for the family."
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