An 11-year-old boy is fighting for his life in hospital after being hit by a police van in Lancaster.
The youngster was taken to hospital after the incident on Owen Road shortly before 8.30pm in Thursday.
It happened when the boy was crossing the road as officers drove past while responding to an emergency call.
The boy was taken to Royal Lancaster Infirmary in a critical condition.
A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: ‘Our thoughts are with the child’s loved ones at this time.
‘An investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances that led to the collision. We have voluntarily referred this matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), as is standard with an incident of this nature.’
The IOPC said in a statement: ‘We have declared an independent investigation into the actions of Lancashire Police prior to a road traffic collision in Owen Road, Lancaster at around 8.30pm tonight, in which a child has been injured.
‘We understand that a marked police van, with its lights and sirens on, was in a collision with an 11-year-old boy.
‘We were notified by the force shortly after the collision and declared an investigation at 10.37pm. IOPC investigators are heading to the scene and the police post incident procedure to begin gathering information.’
The IOPC said they are in the early stages of their investigation.
