Mother killed in 'road rage attack'

Tributes have been paid to a 33-year-old mother who died from head injuries following a suspected road rage attack.

Christie McHugh was carried along on the bonnet of a car before falling off and hitting a Belisha beacon, one of the lights on a zebra crossing.

Police and ambulance crews were called to Barnet in north London shortly after 6.30pm on Monday but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers believe she had argued with another woman driver and got out of her car before she was hit and left injured in East Barnet Road.

The incident happened outside the the Lord Kitchener pub.

A message on its Facebook page said: "After yesterdays sad and tragic accident. paul and all the staff send there deepest condolences to john and the kids and christie's family. and a most sincere thank you to all the friends and customers that helped after the accident."

Ms McHugh's friend Alice Cole said she had asked the other woman to move her car.

She told the Daily Mail: "Christie came out to put the kids in the car which was blocked. She asked the woman to move the car and the woman got quite verbal. Christie has stood in the way and she has gone into her.

"Christie stood blocking the car park to say, 'Stop, I want to have a word with you about being so rude'. The woman has accelerated and put Christie on the front of the car. Then she's accelerated even more. Christie hit the lamppost at a height and then slumped down and the rest is history."

The victim has not yet been formally identified but her family have been told. A post-mortem examination was due to take place later. A woman was arrested in Barnet in connection with the death and released on bail until April.