Two others were injured in the crash in central London at 11.41am on Tuesday (March 18).
The woman in her 20s was pronounced dead at the scene and the two other pedestrians were taken to hospital, one with potentially life-threatening injuries and the other with minor injuries.
The driver of the van, a 26-year-old man, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and drug-driving.
One witness, an 18-year-old student who didn’t wish to be named, said they could hear a loud crash while in class.
The engineering student said: “I just heard a really loud crash. Like a really loud crash and glass shattering.
“We were all scared in class, it was really loud. We looked out the window, and there was a huge (pile) of rubble I guess.
“My teacher called the ambulance.
“We could see everything. I heard they’re students but we don’t know. They looked like students.”
Josh, another witness, said the van involved had driven out of a nearby service yard and through a gate, and a group of people rushed over to help the victims.
He added: “We all went over there and then obviously one of my mates, he went in there, grabbed some first aiders and came out, we tried to get people away and all that.”
A dark blue van with a smashed headlight and a dent on the front right corner remained by the police cordon.
Police said the incident is not being treated as terror-related and that a crime scene remains in place while inquiries continue.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called today (Tuesday) at 11.39am to reports of an incident in the Strand, WC2.
“We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, an incident response officer, a clinical team manager and London’s air ambulance.
“We treated four people at the scene. Sadly, despite our best efforts one person was pronounced dead.
“We took two other people to hospital and one was discharged at scene.”
Ali, a PhD student at King’s College London, who did not wish to share his surname, was leaving class when he saw emergency services gathered near the scene.
“At first I was disoriented, I thought it was a protest because it usually happens but it’s something else entirely,” he said.
“(Now knowing a woman has died) is so sad and hard to process – my thoughts go out to her family and friends.
“We walk by that crossing all the time and it’s pedestrianised, barely any vehicles pass.”
