British authorities rule out terrorism in car crash injuring 11 pedestrians

LONDON -- A car crash that injured 11 people outside a major London tourist attraction Saturday sparked fears of a terrorist attack but turned out to be simply a traffic accident, London police said.

The accident at 2:20 p.m. outside the popular Natural History Museum in the heart of central London brought a gigantic police response, including helicopters and hazardous-area response teams, because of terrorist concerns.

Police said 11 people were injured when a car apparently mounted the pavement and hit pedestrians. Nine people were hospitalized with head and leg injuries that were not judged to be life-changing.

Panicky scenes ensued after the pedestrians were struck and it took nearly four hours for police to reassure the anxious public it was not another terrorist attack.

Britons in general, and Londoners in particular, have been jumpy after a string of extremist attacks this year, including deadly attacks using vehicles to hit pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and London Bridge. Britain has been on a "severe" terrorist threat level indicating the Joint Terrorism Analysis Center believes an attack is viewed as highly likely.

Police said one man at the scene, thought to be the driver, was detained. He has not been charged or identified.

Witnesses described a rush to leave the scene, nearby shops were evacuated and the sprawling museum, a favorite site for families with children, closed down early. Police established a large security cordon around the area within minutes.

Workers in a cafe near the Natural History Museum said they fled the scene in fear.

Marilin Mueller, 20, said she thought at first it was a traffic accident but had doubts when "loads of police cars" arrived.

"All of these police came marching down saying, 'Move, move.' They said, 'You need to evacuate,"' she said.

Dieon Rurora said people were running down the street to get away and some fell.

"It was quite scary," he said.

The crash took place on a day when the central London museum district was teeming with pedestrians.