London crash: Witnesses describe moment vehicle struck pedestrians outside mosque

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At least one dead after van strikes crowd in London

Vehicle collided with worshippers leaving mosque; one individual in custody

Witnesses outside a London mosque, where a van mowed down worshippers killing one and injuring 10 others, described the scene to reporters early Monday.

Mohammed Abdullah, a delivery driver, was on a bike about three cars behind the incident in Finsbury Park when he saw the white van make a sharp left turn.

"I think he done it on purpose. I was on a ped. He was about three cars in front of me. He came in a bus lane and took a sharp left,” Abdullah told Sky News. “He went on top of the people. He actually ran them over. It was a white van.”

Abdullah added that there were three people in the van and that two of them ran away. However, police have not confirmed that but one man, aged 48, was arrested after being held by pedestrians.

"I've seen about six or seven people on the floor. Most of them was male. It was exactly the same time as the prayers finished. As soon as it finished, this guy came. I think (the road he took) is a blocked road - It's not even a through road,” he said.

Abdullah said the man who was in custody did not say anything.

"He had a tattoo on his back. He was not ill. He was not drunk. He got arrested by five or six police officers. They took him away. They never dropped him or nothing."

Finsbury Park resident Cynthia Vanzella said she saw police rendering aid to victims.

"I heard a lot of shouting and panic. It was really ugly. I could see at least two people on the floor not moving and police officers trying to do cardiac massage on them,” she told Sky News.

One man, only identified as Mohin, told the Press Association his cousin was caught up in the crash.

“There were a lot of people in the street, crossing the street, going to mosque for prayers, for forgiveness, just to pray and go home and eat,” he said. “They are doing their usual daily routine - they did not expect a van coming out of nowhere hitting them.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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